Namibia has scrapped employment permits for individuals who wish to enter the southern African country for conservation tourism.
Conservation tourism comprises of tourists paying to stay at conservation farms and as part of the experience, they accompany teams that feed animals to experience closeness to wildlife.
“From now on, conservation tourism will be regarded a normal tourism and as such, does not require employment permits or work visa, “said the ministry of home affairs and immigration.
However, the ministry said researchers and individuals coming for veterinary purposes will have to apply for work permits.
The change comes after Windhoek realised the direct benefit this emerging form of tourism has on operators in the tourism industry.
The direct contribution of travel and tourism to Namibia’s gross domestic product (GDP) was N$4,9 billion ($369.3 million) or 2.9% of total GDP in 2017.
It is forecasted to contribute $756.7 million or 3.7% of total GDP by 2028.
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