WINDHOEK, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta on Wednesday launched the Tourism Expo 2020 scheduled to take place from Nov. 4 to 7 in Windhoek despite the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister at the launch talked about the negative impact caused by COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry at the same highlighting on the importance of investing in domestic tourism.
The expo will run under the theme: "Renewable Energy", of which Shifeta said it is befitting to Namibia's current situation.
"Given the current situation, which brought many economies to a standstill, continuity of the domestic tourism operations is crucial at this critical point and the Namibia Tourism Expo will create a platform for the industry to brainstorm ideas to ensure that Namibia remains a preferred destination in sub-Sahara Africa.," he said.
Shifeta believes that this is the time for Southern Africa to join hands in marketing the region as a destination.
Speaking at the launch, the organizers, Namibia Media Holdings' (NMH) CEO, Albe Botha said around 100 exhibitors are expected this year as compared to over 200 that have featured in previous years.
According to Botha, ticketing will be done via cellphones so that registration and contact tracing will be made easier so as to control the spread of COVID-19, while they will also limit the accumulation of large crowds.
Started 22 years ago, the expo continues to be the biggest tourism event in the country that brings together stakeholders from all walks of life as well as international exhibitors to showcase their services and products as well as to network, synergize, and create business links. Enditem
