Miss Tourism Namibia calls for NGO's support

Miss Tourism Namibia 2013 Ophelia Emvula is calling on the Ministry of Environment and Tourism as well as the Namibian Tourism Board (NTB) to support small non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and youth forums whose aim is to improve the Namibian tourism industry as well as help improve Namibia as a tourism destination. Speaking to the Economist this week, Emvula who recently returned from the Miss Tourism World pageant which was held in Equatorial Guinea last month said she looks forward to working with the youth across Namibia not only as an ambassador but also as a Namibian citizen. “I am currently part of the Swakopmund Youth with a Vision Youth Forum which is a group of young people that have cleaning campaigns as well as seminars that teach the public on how to create cleaner tourist cities. I look forward to working with the youth in other parts of the country on such projects therefore I am calling on the government and other parastatals to help fund such projects” she said. Emvula also said that in her capacity as the current Miss Tourism Namibia, she too will play a big role in promoting a tourism oriented outlook to young Namibians by holding seminars on maintaining the environment. She is also looking to working closely with the Swakopmund municipality where she hopes to get a platform to find out what programs are available for the youth in terms of tourism, as well at the NTB and tourism directorate. She also urged the government to mobilise and promote other places as tourism cities in the country as there is a strong need for the discovery of tourism attractions in the domestic market. Emvula is part of the Miss Tourism Namibia Pageant’s mandate of raising awareness and promoting of city tourism, whose aim is integrate tourism as a key pillar in urban areas. Emvula’s reign will come to an end next year at the Miss Tourism Namibia 2014 pageant when another tourism ambassador will be chosen on 7 June at the Windhoek Country club. The pageant is set to coincide with the Namibia Tourism Expo.