Martin Endjala
The Namibia Wildlife Resorts through its efforts to enhance tourism safety in the country has teamed up with a local online film program, COPPS 94.1, to promote tourism safety in and around Windhoek, which started last Friday.
This follows recent reports of robberies, targeting primarily tourists, which have become a grave concern in the tourism industry.
The Managing Director of NWR Matthias Ngwangwama said that NWR, as a leading industry player, saw it fit to come on board, in a platform that will allow for awareness to be spread.
He added that the recent spike in robberies has created a particular fear amongst Namibians and tourists and that if not addressed, it will make a significant dent in tourism numbers for the country. Current online reviews show how Namibian tourism has become a concern for international tourists. “It is further a concern that no one is tackling this civic problem,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director highlighted that NWR activities on the program will include addressing tips and ideas on how one can stay safe but, most importantly, creating assurance that Namibia is also one of the safest countries in Africa.
“Partnering up with COPSS, where we can educate but, most importantly, create awareness about safety is something that we see as a positive contribution to the sustainability of the tourism industry. This program gets good views from the public and is very successful and we saw it as an important tool to promote our message” said the NWR Managing Director.
Furthermore, he emphasized that NWR will also allow Namibians to experience and enjoy the show by giving away a voucher every month for the next 12 months to the value of N$ 3 000 on the COPPS program. The COPPS program is online and is run by Kosmos Radio.
In an interview, COPPS 94.1 Producer, Darren Smith said that they decided to partner with big tourism industry powerhouses such as NWR in order to create awareness against crimes perpetuated by perpetrators targeting tourists who visit Namibia.
Smith said that the growing concerns of reading about an article or watching the news where a tourist has been robbed is very disheartening and if this is not controlled, the country may see the number of tourists visiting Namibia declining which will have huge implications both on social lives and the economy.
Hence the awareness campaign to educate tourists and Namibians at large about hotspots and places that are deemed to be dangerous and must be avoided at all costs.
The campaign is said to run for 12 months, and viewers and listeners can catch the local film via COPPS 94.1 online every Sunday as well as on Kosmos radio weekly, where visuals and audio will be displayed showcasing what happens on the streets and how the robberies happen as well as how to avoid falling victim to these unexpected vicious robberies.
COPPS 94.1 has been in existence for ten years now and has also partnered up with various stakeholders before. Smith calls on all Namibians to play their part in ensuring that tourists and crime, in general, are brought under control by taking part in the weekly competitions and staying in tune with COPPS 94.1.
