The establishment of a tourism advisory board for the Walvis Bay Tourism Forum will enable the forum to strengthen ties between the industry and the Walvis Bay Municipality.

The tourism forum established in 2019 is aimed at elevating the town’s tourism status both to local and foreign tourists.

In an interview with the media on Wednesday, current chairperson of the Walvis Bay Tourism Forum, Carlo van der Merwe, said the primary role for this board is to become the link between these business people and the council and also finding better ways to promote the town as a preferred tourist destination.

“There is an understanding that Walvis Bay is just an industrial town, however there are a number of activities that are happening in Walvis Bay such as Sandwich Harbour, kayaking tours and boat cruises and the lagoon for bird watching, to mention but a few. We therefore want to show the world once again what this town can offer in terms of entertainment,” he stressed.

Van der Merwe was speaking on the sidelines of the forum’s first meeting since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, held in Walvis Bay on Wednesday, noting that emphasis would be put on a number of elements such as the town’s rebranding and mapping, as well as improving safety and security for tourists.

The meeting was attended by tourist facility owners, council members, members of the Namibian Police Force, as well as several community members.

The chairperson explained that the meeting, organised by the forum in conjunction with the Walvis Bay Municipality, was aimed at finding key issues affecting the industry and then finding strategies and solutions for them.

“It was also a perfect platform for stakeholders within the industry to brainstorm on a way forward for the forum as well as exercise cooperation and grow the industry and one another,” he said.

Members of the forum who attended the meeting among others agreed to the election of the nine-member advisory board as well as the establishment of a tourism information centre by the municipality.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency