The Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Albert Kawana has urged tourism businesses to take precautions to ensure the safety of tourists when they are visiting their establishments.

Speaking during the launch of an online tourist visa application service by the home affairs ministry in Windhoek on Friday, Kawana lamented over tourism establishments, mostly lodges and campsites, that do not have security on site.

“You cannot just send tourists there for camping in the bush without security guards,” Kawana said in reaction to reports of violent attacks on tourists, saying tourism-related crimes negatively affect the tourism industry.

The minister called on tourism operators to collaborate with the police.

“Lodge owners must be educated; the campsites must have security guards and have communication with the police,” he said.

Meanwhile, the minister said efforts are underway to procure more police vehicles, while expressing the need to capacitate the police’s tourist unit.

“There is a need to reinforce the tourist unit to ensure they are in charge of tourists-related crimes,” he said.

Kawana said the government has gone out of its way to facilitate tourism growth.

“More tourists are coming; get ready; we have provided you with an opportunity to bring more tourists. More tourists are coming to reinforce our economy,” the minister said about the new online tourist visa application service.

The new online application, Kawana said, will enable those wishing to travel to Namibia to apply for tourist and holiday visas from the comfort of their homes.

“I have no doubt that with the launch of the tourist visa online application, our tourism industry is expected to perform economic miracles. This is good news for employment, especially among our youth and women,” he said.

Kawana noted that the new development is in line with the government policy on e-governance, adding that the ministry has automated most of its systems and is gradually moving towards the digitalisation of most of its services.

“It is against this background that, not long ago, we introduced visas on arrival. This move has witnessed a boom in tourist arrivals, thereby contributing to economic growth,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency