For years now media, politicians and, of course, Greta Thunberg have warned of global warming, which is blamed on man-made carbon-dioxide emissions caused by motor vehicles, planes and ships, exacerbated by every increasing global travelling.
For proponents of this theory, a highly welcome side effect of COVID 19 must have been the dramatic reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions as the result of the global shut-down. Since many of these proponents occupy powerful positions in politics and industry, COVID 19 may just offer a unique opportunity to realise their goals for reducing carbon-dioxide emissions on a sustainable basis, in other words mass tourism will be shut down permanently while other steps will be taken to move to clean energy, at this stage primarily a move from fossil fuel to EV energy.
So, if the COVID 19 induced shut down is considered the most effective way to reduce global travelling, a permanent reduction in global travelling will not be achieved until the average man on the street has undergone a mind shift away from aspiring to see the world to rather staying in the safety of your home. This can conceivably be achieved through the ‘carrot and stick’ method. The digital world offers an ideal mechanism to lure people into their houses and to keep them occupied at home, if one just looks at how cell phones have taken over the lives of people. If this lure goes hand-in-hand with measures that make it unattractive and risky to move around outside your house, such a mind shift can conceivably occur in a rather short space of time. In some European countries, for example, travellers who return home after having visited a so-called high-risk country, and are tested COVID positive, will be responsible for the cost of their medical treatment and will lose their sickness benefits. Under these circumstances, let alone the challenges of getting back home, there will be few so courageous to still travel.
Since tourism represents a major generator of income for the Namibian economy, this would be devastating for our economy. One of Namibia’s competitive strengths in the global tourism market, being its untouched nature, wide open spaces and sceneries, will no longer be an effective draw card. That is to say unless our tourism industry will be able to change its approach to the tourism market. Tourism will never disappear altogether but the future tourist will be a different kind of person with different expectations and requirements. The trick will be to recognise and define the new kind of tourist and how to adapt to best meet his needs and expectations, before everyone else gets onto the ‘bandwagon’. Some lateral thinking and joint and coordinated action should stand our tourist industry in good stead to win the heart and mind of the new tourist!