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Namibia's
Travel Fair keeps growing - 22.05.06
Over 10,000 visitors and around 300 exhibitors –
these are the proud figures of success after the Namibia
Tourism Expo (NTE) which was held in Windhoek from 11
to 13 May. In his opening speech the Deputy Minister
for the Environment and Tourism, Leon Jooste, recalled
the humble beginnings eight years ago when 45 exhibitors
participated. The fact that the annual event has grown
to its present size was thanks to Venture Publications’
idea and its joint endeavours with the daily newspaper
Die Republikein, Jooste said. |
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Group
portrait with an ostrich... Gondwana’s expo team
(left to right): Donovan Mahecic and Isobel Green, Erno
Bertolini, Miriam Spatz and Vangee Uandia. |
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The
stand of the Gondwana Desert Collection attracted a
lot of attention again, of course. Visitors were particularly
taken with the favourable price structure which also
gives Namibians a chance to travel their own country. |
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Gondwana’s
expo team had once again put plenty of effort
into designing the stand: large-format pictures
on the walls showed the different desert landscapes
in Namibia’s south and the lodges of the
Gondwana Group; real desert sand, ornate sculptures
of ostriches and other well-chosen decorations
created attractive optical highlights. Moreover,
products of the Self Sufficiency Centre were on
show, too, and guests were able to sample home-made
cheeses, cottage cheese and cold meats. Small
wonder therefore that the stand won second price
in the accommodation category. Newly opened !Uris
Safari Lodge near Tsumeb took first price.
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Miriam Spatz and Vangee Uandia with the runner-up
award for the most beautiful stand promoting accommodation
facilities. |
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All sectors
of the travel industry were represented at the Namibia
Tourism Expo – airlines and tour operators, accommodation
establishments, outdoor outfitters, arts and crafts
workshops as well as suppliers. Plans are to establish
an 'Expo Board' in order to strengthen the NTE further.
According to Deputy Tourism Minister Jooste the body
will be made up of representatives of his own ministry,
the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), the Federation of Namibian
Tourism Associations (FENATA), Air Namibia and the City
of Windhoek. |
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Expo
partners (left to right): the Mayor of Windhoek, Mathew
Shikongo, FENATA CEO Jackie Asheeke, Chris Jacobie (Managing
Director of Die Republikein), NTB Marketing Manager
Shareen Thude and Deputy Minister of Tourism Leon Jooste. |
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Since 2004
the expo is held in May, immediately after the 'Indaba'
in Durban – to give professional visitors from
foreign countries a good reason for a quick trip to
Windhoek. Many local companies which do not go to fairs
in foreign countries – like the ITB in Berlin,
the Indaba in Durban or the WTM in London – exhibit
at the NTE. Furthermore, the expo’s impact in
its own country is considerable; after all it is a country
where a large part of the population does not have much
of an idea of the international travel business. |
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