Resumen

NDLOVU, J  y  NYAKUNU, E. Re-positioning Namibia as a cultural tourism destination to enhance its competitiveness: a tour operators' perspective. JCMAN [online]. 2013, vol.10, n.1, pp.117-134. ISSN 1815-7440.

Namibia is rich in mineral wealth, tourism and wildlife. Over the past years, the destination has been promoted for its wildlife, abundance of scenery and endless horizons. Nevertheless, cultural tourism has been viewed as an alternative to the main stream tourism. Studies have shown that cultural tourism has become an important product and in some cases a dominant factor in the rural economies of African destinations. The paper presents and discusses key findings derived from the study. The empirical evidence shows that the use of culture as a tourism product can complement the plethora of wildlife products currently on offer in Namibia. Results further show that most tour operators are reluctant to promote Namibia as a cultural tourism destination. The majority of tourists who visit the rural areas do so by coincidence since the rural areas are located en-route to the National Parks. Even though Namibia experiences a significant growth in tourist arrivals, less attention is currently being paid to the development of alternative forms of tourism, particularly cultural tourism, despite the growing interest of international visitors. This paper urges tour operators to create demand for cultural tourism as an alternative form of tourism.

Palabras clave : attractiveness; cultural tourism; destination competitiveness; re-positioning; tour operators.

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