By Albertina Nakale
As per the current Public Health Regulations, which came
into force on 15 August 2021 and are effective until 15 September 2021, persons
permitted to enter Namibia under sub-regulation (2) may not enter Namibia
unless such persons, at the time of entering Namibia, present to an authorised
SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result from the country of departure.
Such test results should not be older than 72 hours,
calculated from the date the sample for testing was taken and issued by a
certified laboratory to issue SARS-CoV-2 PCR test results.
"But a change in the wording of one regulation is
stifling long-haul travel, thus creating enormous losses in the tourism
industry to the nation's economy and cost thousands of Namibians their
jobs," HAN chief executive officer Gitta Paetzold reasoned.
She said their joint letter was delivered to the environment
and tourism ministry, who indicated in their ongoing support for the Tourism
Revival Initiative to urgently engage with their counterparts at the health as
well as home affairs and immigration ministries.
Other partners who signed the letter include Natural
Selection managing director Ally Karaerua, Africa Tourist Info managing
director David Cartwright, Gondwana Collection CEO Gys Joubert, Wilderness
Safaris business unit manager Nathaly Ahrens, Ongava Game Reserve sales and
marketing general manager Rob Moffett as well as Ultimate Safaris managing
director Tristan Cowley.
The partners contend the potential loss to Namibia is
quantifiable.
"If the current wording were to remain in place, it
would result in 60% cancellation of bookings, held by long-haul travellers.
This can be extrapolated to 30 or 40 businesses across Namibia in both rural
and urban areas. Over a year, this would result in the loss of N$20 million
bookings. Crude extrapolation across 40 businesses is up to N$800m direct loss,
and 3 000 citizens stand to lose their jobs."
Paetzold said the letter is self-explanatory and provides
some crucial facts that if considered and applied correctly could save
thousands of jobs in tourism and help salvage efforts for tourism recovery in
Namibia - which, unfortunately, under the current circumstances, looks bleak.
By yesterday, Peatzold said they have not yet received an
official response but a firm indication from the environment minister Pohamba
Shifeta that he would raise it with his health and immigration counterparts.
Tourism players have requested the public health regulations
to be amended to the original wording of not older than 72 hours up to the time
of the first embarkation.
They argue this is in line with the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) standard wording from 'the first embarkation'.
Further, they are convinced this will make it possible geographically for
visitors from high-value source markets across time zones, including Far East
Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore and China) and North America to reach Namibia.
"We kindly request the authorities to amend the
regulation to its original wording of 72 hours up to the time of the first
embarkation. This will harmonise Namibia's regulations with South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya and many other countries. This change will help to keep
businesses open. It will save Namibian jobs, and it will help to ensure that
the tourism industry - Namibia's 3rd largest industry prior to the pandemic -
survives.
Moreover, the tourism players argue Namibia's peer group
wording of PCR testing requirement demonstrates clearly that countries with
significant high-end tourism attraction - specifically South Africa, Kenya,
Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe - will benefit directly from
the cancellations and lost bookings that the wording of Namibia's regulations
restricts.