The Managing Director of Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) Tobie Aupindi has told said that Namibian tourism sector has focused on China as a tourism emerging market, aiming to attract more Chinese tourists to Namibia.

Aupindi said in a recent interview with Xinhua that foreign tourists to Namibia came from Germany and other European countries which had kindred relations with Namibia. Because of the global financial crisis, the country's tourism industry has suffered a decline with dissatisfactory performance in recent years.

With China's economic development and significantly increase in people's well-beings, since 2007, Chinese tourists have begun to swarm into Namibia, bringing new developing forces for the Namibian tourism. In this regard, combined with Namibian embassies in China, NWR launched tourism promotion activities in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other major cities in China in 2010 to introduce to the Chinese people its luxuriant tourism resources under a concept of "experiencing nature, back to nature." They plan to focus on the Namibia's unique wildlife resources and considerable African-style savanna, desert and other natural landscapes.

"As a friendly country of Namibia, China's vast market potential appeals to us and we would like to work with partners of Chinese tourism industry to conduct bilateral cooperation projects to share the experience in the practice of tourism development bringing on mutual benefit to both parties." Aupindi noted.

NWR has set up 22 tourism camps around the country, following up with advancement of tourism supporting infrastructure, and they try to understand the demands of Chinese tourists by reshaping personalized travel services, including moonlight walks and safari game.

In addition, Aupindi regarded tourism as a bridge of friendship connecting people in the two countries beneficial to the understanding of each other's culture and values.

Aupindi also said that challenges facing in the tourism industry in Namibia currently such as the shortage of tourism facilities, the inadequate development of tourism resource, as well as lack of talents, all of which restrict the sustainable and efficient development of the tourism industry. He hoped to conduct extensive discussion on tourism development with Chinese tourist enterprises to jointly develop the rich tourism resources of Namibia to help Namibia's tourism garner developmental experiences and cultivate promising talents for the country.

Aupindi especially reiterated strategies for sustainable development of tourism with the idea that Namibian government advocate rational and efficient utilization of natural resources to maintain the balance between development and protection. Grabbing resources blindly is strictly objected by the government for the sake of ecological and environmental protection and sustainable development of tourism, he said.

Namibia, located in southwest Africa, is famous for its attractions such as Etosha Park, Walvis Bay, Popa Falls. Currently, Namibia receives about 1 million foreign tourists each year with a revenue of 6.5 billion to 7 billion Namibian dollars (845 million US dollars to 910 million US dollars) accounting for about 10 percent of its total GDP.