Tourism ministry plans on tarring Etosha roads
Etosha National Park's main roads will be tarred for N$160 million. This is due to the increasing number of tourists visiting the park, placing pressure on roads and their maintenance.Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta said his ministry is working hard to ensure that roads are properly serviced and that visitors can drive on them comfortably. "We are already working on a big project to upgrade especially the road between Okaukuejo and the King Nehale gate to an asphalt standard. This means we have to get it tarred and from there we will see to it that other major roads in Etosha are all upgraded."
Executive director of the ministry, Theofilus Nghitila, agreed that the roads in Etosha should be rehabilitated, saying that the statistics on tourist arrivals will help the ministry to ensure that the park's roads are kept in good condition.
Namibia recorded a record 98.1% increase in tourist arrivals from 232 756 in 2021 to 461 027 in 2022. This figure indicates a recovery level of 28.9% from the annual tourist arrivals of 2019. "We need to see tourists return after years of restrictions. The volume of visitors flocking to Etosha is overwhelming,” Nghitila adds.
"We have our graders on the roads in a bid to maintain them and we are also looking for additional support from the private sector to help the ministry maintain our roads in Etosha."
He said that in addition to the maintenance of roads in national parks, the ministry is also in discussion with the Roads Authority (RA) regarding the stretch of road from Walvis Bay to Sesriem.
The ministry said earlier this year that it had already invested more than N$136 million between February 2019 and May 2023 in upgrading roads used by tourists in Etosha.
Furthermore, Shifeta encouraged the tourism sector to forge sustainable and smart partnerships with local communities and other partners and stakeholders to ensure that tourism brings about inclusive, far-reaching and long-lasting socio-economic benefits for social and economic upliftment, employment and creative and business opportunities for Namibians.
"The ministry also calls on managers of tourism destinations, tour operators and stakeholders to develop new products and services, experiences and packages, new itineraries and new attractions to improve guests' experience, but also to the Destination Namibia initiative making it more attractive to returning visitors.”
He said Namibia's tourism sector stands a chance to benefit equally from opportunities through the local and cross-border markets. "It is, therefore, essential to boost the country's marketing efforts aimed at increasing travel demand by residents and regional markets to achieve the robust and sustainable recovery of the tourism sector."
The ministry is also implementing the recovery plan for the tourism sector which sets out a framework for policy intervention and strategic programs to support each stage of the recovery phase.