WINDHOEK, March 3 – Namibia’s Wildlife Resorts (NWR) today went virtual as it launched a platform where tourists can experience its products, as it focuses on resuscitating an industry that has been crippled by the Covid-19 era.
Managing Director Matthias Ngwangwama on Thursday indicated that NWR will do anything possible to contribute to the quick recovery of Namibia’s flailing tourism industry.
“It is for this reason that we would like to launch this new service or technology, the live webcam, also known as virtual tourism, at Okaukuejo Resort in the Etosha National Park. Virtual tourism presents viewers with an immersive experience of an activity, location, or destination through the use of technology,” he said during the at NWR head offices.
The global village has embraced and effectively utilised diverse types of virtual tourism packages that incorporate virtual reality, still images, video, audio, narration, interactivity, to name a few.
Relating to NWRs latest innovation, he said: “Ours is video. For the best viewing experience, viewers can access our virtual tourism content using virtual reality headsets, which are easily available in most technology shops in Windhoek, but they can also usually view the content on a normal computer or even a mobile device.”
For this particular move, Okaukuejo Waterhole in the Etosha National Park is primed to bring nature into people’s living rooms, offices or mobile phones
Among the benefits of the innovation, lies the fact that viewers are not limited to cost, travel logistics and availability of flights. This also does away with safety concerns.
Ngwangwama revealed that NWR had held interactions with some citizens and found out that some had never seen a lion in real life, while international tourists who reminisce on how they ‘miss the water holes and its experience also had no way of re-living that instance.
“Thus, NWR, with this service offers a great chance for us all to live in our beautiful national parks.”
He concluded by saying that depending on feedback from the Okaukuejo Waterhole, cameras might be rolled out to other waterholes within different parks in Namibia. – mrobert@namibiadailynews.info
