Namibia has joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Tourism Day on Wednesday under the theme ‘Tourism and green investment’.

World Tourism Day is celebrated annually on 27 September since 1980, by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation member states. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Chief Public Relations Officer, Romeo Muyunda, the purpose of this day is to foster awareness among the international community on the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.

This year’s theme, he said, highlights the need for more and better-targeted investments for people, planet and prosperity.

“In Namibia, the main celebrations are taking place at Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West Region. In observance of this day, the ministry urges all stakeholders including members of the public to appreciate the contribution that tourism has on the country’s economy as well as the social upliftment of our people,” Muyunda said.

He further stressed that tourism contributes significantly to the country’s GDP, employment creation, foreign exchange and poverty reduction.

“We are all encouraged to be sustainable in our practices to ensure the protection of our planet and the environment. We strongly condemn irresponsible practices that harm our pristine environment such as poaching, littering and deforestation amongst others. Equally we want to condemn violence perpetrated against our tourists especially the foreign tourists. This has a negative impact on our country’s image as a preferred safe destination,” Muyunda noted.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency