Namibia is sharpening its global tourism strategy with a renewed focus on business travel and sustainability, as the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) showcases its offerings at WTM Africa.
Speaking to VoyagesAfriq on the sidelines of the event, Head of Marketing for NTB, Charmaine Matheus, underscored the country’s strategic pivot towards the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) segment, describing it as a central pillar of Namibia’s tourism growth agenda.
“One of the key areas that we are looking at and of course positioning the destination strongly is our MICE sector,” she said. “Namibia has launched the Namibia Convention Bureau and we are looking very strongly at increasing travel to Namibia, business travel to Namibia, specifically uplifting the MICE sub-sector of Namibia.”
Matheus noted that the establishment of the Namibia Convention Bureau marks a significant step in formalising and expanding the country’s appeal to business travellers, as Namibia seeks to diversify beyond its traditional leisure tourism base.
Head of Marketing for NTB, Charmaine Matheus
Beyond MICE, sustainability and conservation remain at the heart of Namibia’s tourism identity. According to Matheus, these principles are not only embedded in the country’s tourism offerings but are also deeply rooted in its governance framework.
“Another core component for us in terms of positioning is also sustainability and conservation, which is a huge aspect for Namibia, part of our constitution,” she explained. “When it comes to our product offering, we definitely have strong positioning on conservation as well.”
Namibia is globally recognised for its community-based conservation models and vast protected landscapes, which continue to appeal to environmentally conscious travellers seeking authentic and responsible tourism experiences.
Highlighting the importance of regional markets, Matheus pointed to South Africa as Namibia’s leading source of inbound tourists, reinforcing the country’s strong presence at WTM Africa.
“With South Africa being one of our key source markets, our highest inbound travel market, we are very excited to always participate at WTM,” she said. “In fact, any travel show that has high impact for our destination, for travellers being able to engage with tourists and potential buyers for the destination, presenting the country, that is key for us.”
She added that NTB’s delegation to Cape Town includes a curated group of high-end trade partners representing diverse segments of the tourism value chain.
“Specifically, today and during WTM, we do have with us a group of trade, high-end trade, trade that focuses on various factors of tourism from travel leisure to MICE and so much more,” Matheus noted.
“We are very excited to be here.”
Sustainability stand award
Namibia earned top honours for its sustainability-focused stand—an achievement that reflects the country’s long-standing commitment to conservation-led tourism and authentic storytelling.
In response to the recognition, Matheus remarked: “This award celebrates our dedication to sustainable tourism, proving that conservation is not just part of our destination’s offering, but is woven into the very fabric of how we represent Namibia to the world. For Namibia, sustainability is a core value; this winning for our stand validates our mission to lead the way in responsible travel through every facet of our brand presence.”
