Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The minister of environment, forestry and tourism (MEFT), Pohamba Shifeta, has urged the travel and tourism sector to improve its customer service.
Speaking at the launch of the 2023 Annual Tourist Statistical Report, Shifeta highlighted the importance of trained staff to enhance service quality.
“I have met some clients complaining about our service and that we need to look at our services. I call upon the industry players to train our staff, as these are the staff that can make it or break it,” said Shifeta.
He emphasised the need for better coaching, not just in public service but also in customer service.
“The customer service generally is just lacking. We need to work on a curriculum to train our people in the industry, especially at entry points,” he said.
Shifeta pointed out incidents where tourist instructors left tour cars open with belongings inside, stressing the need for security.
“If we find more similar incidents or silly mistakes, the Namibia Tourism Board should either warn them or finally deregister them. We can’t allow people in the industry who are breaking up the industry,” he added.
The report highlighted that Namibia received 863 872 international tourist arrivals in 2023, an 87.4 percent increase from 461 027 in 2022.
This recovery brings Namibia to 54 percent of pre-Covid-19 tourist numbers. The majority of tourists came from South Africa, Angola, Germany, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, the United States, the UK, France, and the Netherlands.
The MEFT is implementing the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, which aims to support and restore the tourism sector through strategic interventions and programs.
Last year, 84.1 percent of tourists visited Namibia for holidays, with 73.7 percent arriving by road.
