The Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) King, Tate Omukwaniilwa Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo is encouraging local people to showcase their culture and traditions in tourism and sustain and preserve them for future generations.

Nangolo during the Etotha Carnival official opening on Friday at Kangonde Salt Pan in Onanke village in Oshikoto’s Omuntele Constituency said that tourists come to Namibia to see local people’s traditions and cultural activities.

‘When tourists come into the country, they want to see traditional activities of the local people, not traditional activities from elsewhere,’ said Nangolo.

‘Our tourists from Germany do not want to see rice and forks because they left them at home; they want to see our traditional knives and how we perform our cultural activities,’ said Nangolo.

‘Some people go to Israel to go and hear stories about Jesus while others go to Egypt to see pyramids and hear stories about how the Egyptians created the pyramids,’ said Nangolo.

He said Namibia is also a rich count
ry with many assets such as the Salt Pan and it is all up to the Namibians to do something by turning it into a tourist attraction centre.

The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta said that Namibia aims to attract new and special segments of the global travel market, create new marketing rooms, and expand tourism product offerings.

‘The Etotha Carnival is a combination of eco-tourism, adventure and heritage tourism that was modelled on the Makgadikgadi Epic in Botswana,’ said Shifeta.

He urged more partners to join the ministry in creating more adventure and tourism products all over the country and attract domestic tourism demand.

‘I urge all the regional tourism forums under the regional governors to follow suit as the Etotha Carnival aims to improve the livelihood of local communities and activation of economic activities and unravel business opportunities and provide means and investment,’ said Shifeta.

The OTA and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism in partner
ship with the Namibia Tourism Board have organised the Etotha Carnival to honour and safeguard Namibia’s diverse cultural and heritage treasures.

Etotha Carnival started on 27 June 2024 and will end on 01 July 2024.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency