Whether it's Lüderitz, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund or Henties Bay, Namibia's coastline is certainly not inviting for swimming. The reason for this is the cool Benguela Current. And yet Namibia wants to attract additional tourists to the country by also promoting beach holidays.
How? – With a travel package that includes its northern neighbour Angola. There, warm water layers push over the Benguela Current and extensive sandy beaches line the coast. And Angola is easily accessible by plane from Europe and Namibia.
The Frankfurt office of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) tested out what such a travel package might look like in practice on a scouting tour with travel experts from Germany. Matthias Lemcke, NTB Director for Europe, described the tour as a success on his LinkedIn page.
"Big City Lights and Metropolitan lifestyle with Portuguese flair welcomed us," says Lemcke, describing his impression upon arrival in the capital Luanda. "This presented a first contrast to the destination Namibia."
Above all, however, the 'scouts' were interested in the coastal areas. Lemcke: "Be it south of Luanda or in Benguela and Lobito, both regions offer beautiful beaches with warm water, sea-side activities and quality Hotels/Resorts with an African vibe."
The flight connections also proved to be convenient. TAAG-Linhas Aereas de Angola, FlyAngola and Discover Airlines were partners in the scouting tour. "Already during this trip first ideas for Namibia-Angola packages were discussed by the European Tour Operator representatives",’ Lemcke noted with satisfaction.
Participants of the scouting tour were the directors of tour operators DERTour, BMS-Travellers and Diamir Erlebnisreisen. The editor-in-chief of industry magazine TRVL COUNTER was also on board.
Sven-Eric Stender
