Namibia's national parks remain key tourism drawcard: official

Namibia needs to develop and facilitate concession opportunities in all of the national parks so that the parks serve as engines of economic growth as well as flagship areas for conservation, an official said on Wednesday.

The country's Minister of Environment, Pohamba Shifeta, highlighted this during his new year address delivered in Windhoek.

"Serious attention will also be given to the upgrading of the boundary fence for Etosha National Park using our own staff members and volunteers," he said, adding that this project will actually be launched on Feb. 22.

According to Shifeta, more focus will also be given to the maintenance of the Etosha National Parks tourism roads.

Meanwhile, the Friends of Parks Program will also be shortly launched, he said.

"The program will encourage donors, private sector and other stakeholders to get involved and support the development and management of Namibia's national parks in the spirit of goodwill and through a coordinated and structured approach," Shifeta said.

Shifeta said the country's national parks remain one of the key tourism drawcards and the focus for 2020 in terms of park infrastructure development, park management planning as well as tourism development will be on the coastal parks of Skeleton Coast, Cape Cross, Dorob and Namib Naukluft Park.