While some 18 Namibian Tourism Operators, as well as the Namibia Tourism Board, Air Namibia and the City of Windhoek Tourism Division have today started a 4-day effort to sell Namibia as a tourism destination at the World Travel Market in London, other Namibian tourism businesses are preparing for an intensive networking, debate and trading session from 23 – 25 November here in Windhoek.

The 2005 Namibia Tourism Forum & HAN Tourism Trade Forum take place at the Safari Hotel & Conference Centre in Windhoek, and all interested parties are welcome to attend.

The main focus of the 2005 Tourism Focus, hosted by the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations, FENATA, will be on BBEE, Broad-based Black Economic Empo-wernment. Since the launch of the Tourism Transformation Charter exactly one year ago, the Tourism industry has taken stock of BBEE activities and programmes currently in place, and will present an update on achievements at the Forum, while ample time will be granted for further comments, questions and ideas on this very important issue.

The day’s deliberations will be completed with a presentation by the NTB and the Tourism Ministry.

On Thursday and Friday, 24 and 25 November, the Hospitality Associa-tion of Namibia will host its annual HTTF, during which HAN members and other tourism enterprises will be given the opportunity to present themselves and to conduct valuable networking and trading sessions with partners in the industry. Close to 50 individual participating operators, of which 15 represent larger groups of estab-lishments, such as the NWR, Namib Sun Hotels, Namibia Country Lodges and Gondwana Desert Collection, as well as Air Namibia Holidays, the City of Windhoek and other tourism marketing enterprises, will be present at the HTTF 2005, and ready for intensive networking, planning and negotiations for the future tourism season 2006/07.

While the HTTF is not to be compared with the scenic, colourful and spectacular Holiday & Travel Expo taking place in May in Windhoek every year, it has estab-lished itself over the past 6 years as an important opportunity for networking and building closer ties within the tourism industry, as well as to develop and build on future plans for this important economic sector in Namibia.

The HTTF trading hours at the Safari Conference Centre are:

Thursday, 24 November, 13h00 – 22h00

Friday, 25 November, 8h00 – 13h00,

and the venue is open to all interested parties at no charge.

For more information, contact Gitta Paetzold at the HAN office at: 222904