TOURISTS have not visited many parts of the country, especially the Kunene region, due to the state of emergency in the country, and the crafts industry there is in dire need of a lifeline.
The representative of the craft vendors in Kunene south, Soul Uwiteb, said during the lockdown, most craftsmen stopped selling their wares on the local market.
“The market closed. We depend on crafts. We make crafts from the mopani tree that is abundant in our region, and I used to make enough money to provide for myself and my two children, but now there are no tourists to sell my crafts to, so I keep them at home for interested locals,” he said.
He added that prices of crafts have plunged as only a handful of Namibians appreciate and buy crafts.
Another craftsman, Usiel Taniseb who has been in the business for 10 years said it has been a challenging time for the industry.
“It is no use to even attempt to travel to other towns to sell, tourists are nowhere to be found. This is the first time I have experienced this in selling crafts. We mainly depend on tourists who visit our region for different reasons,” he said.
Another trader, Josef Khariseb, said there is still hope to sell as many crafts as possible after the country opens its borders and tourists return.
“For now there is nothing we can do but wait. What I am doing in the meanwhile is to continue making my products,” he said.
The minister of environment, forestry and tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, at an event recently said Namibia’s tourism industry had been hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak that forced the country to close its borders. As a result, no tourists are expected in the country for the next three to four months, with the situation expected to persist for the rest of 2020.
– Nampa
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