Namibia – the most compelling wildlife story ever told

More than 700 people form all over the world watched Namibia’s promotional video – 42 % and counting – at the Adventure World Travel Summit (ATWS) in Switzerland two weeks ago. See the video here.

Taking a balloon ride at Sossusvlei. Photo: Paul van Schalkwyk

The video – which aptly summarises Namibia’s unrivaled conservation efforts, tourism and community development, as well as the country’s innate ability to offer once in a life time adventures – premiered at a dinner hosted by Namibia on the last night of the ATWS held in Switzerland.

According to Keith Sproule, the Tourism Business Advisor with WWF in Namibia, ATTA president Shannon Stowell introduced the audience to the video by once again emphasising that Namibia is “the most compelling story in tourism today”.

After the video had been screened, Namibia’s award winning Doro !Nawas lodge choir strutted their stuff on stage, showing off their rhythmical dancing and singing talents.

It was a goose bump moment, consistent with the theme of real community benefits from tourism, Keith noted.

Adventure in Namibia. Photo: Paul van Schalkwyk.

The Doro !Nawas team is not made up of professional singers, but rather local tourism staff, who joined together in the best way possible – through song and dance, to promote Namibia to their guests at the lodge.

Their performance in Switzerland gave everyone there a brief foretaste of things to come at the ATWS summit next year in Namibia, as they were up on their feet, dancing to the rhythms of Namibia.

A total of 44 Namibian’s participated in the summit in Lucerne this year, including 27 private sector members.

Keith summarised the evening as authentic and moving and said the night “set the theme perfectly for Namibia as host of the Adventure travel world Summit in October 2013”.

Cool fact:

At the close of the Switzerland ATWS summit, more than 100 ATTA delegates had already paid to attend the 2013 summit in Namibia. According to ATTA organisers, this is the first time ever that so many advance registrations have been made in such a short time.