A Namibian citizen and free-lance guide, Dr. Hu Berry of Swakopmund, has been nominated for the prestigious Paul Morrison Guide Award 2006. The nomination was made by ‘Wanderlust Publications’, Windsor, United Kingdom after extensive surveys they did on evaluations submitted by overseas travel agents. These agents recorded the comments they received from tourists who had traveled to countries in most parts of the world. Namibia was among the countries evaluated.

The Award, launched for the first time this year, aims to recognize the work of the world’s best guides – be they safari guides, porters, city guides, sherpas or naturalists – to thank them for enriching tourists’ travels, to highlight the qualities of a top guide, and to encourage others to seek out these special people. In a letter from ‘Wanderlust Publications’, Hu Berry was congratulated on this achievement, which said ‘We received glowing testimonies about your work as a Guide’. He received an official certificate nominating him for the Award.

Dr. Berry ascribes this achievement to the fact that he received extensive experience in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, for whom he worked for 33 years. During this period he was Chief Biologist at Etosha’s Ecological Institute and later Chief Warden of Etosha, as well as Biologist of the Namib-Naukluft Park and Head of the internationally renowned Desert Research Institute at Gobabeb. He represented the Ministry at the Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH), presenting theoretical and practical field courses for future Namibian Tour Guides. Using this opportunity to qualify himself further, he is certified by NATH as a Specialist Namibian Guide in the areas of Etosha and the Namib Desert, as well as in the fields of Fauna, Ornithology and Ecology. According to him, he could not have had a better learning experience than working for the Ministry and being exposed to the extensive spectrum of subjects and courses offered by NATH. Consequently, he is convinced that this background significantly influenced his nomination for the Award and expresses his gratitude to these Institutions for the opportunities they afforded him.