Namibia 'can compete with the giants of African tourism'

For a unique and memorable experience, those planning trips to Africa have been urged to include Namibia on their itinerary.

The country, tucked away in the south-western corner of Africa, is sometimes overlooked by tourists in favour of better-known destinations in the region, such as its neighbours South Africa and Botswana.

However, according to Ndapona Schleberger, international operations and marketing manager at the Namibia Tourism Board, the country offers an experience that cannot be found anywhere else, meaning it is more than capable of competing with bigger destinations.

Speaking at the recent World Travel Market in London, he explained: "Namibia is unique, and we have a competitive edge. It is inhabited by only [around] two million people.

"You can imagine how unspoiled the landscape and country is. So we see ourselves as competing against those big giants and we are doing very well for such a small country."

Namibia is a fantastic destination for adventure travel, featuring a diverse mix of cultures and a spectacular and incredibly varied landscape including ocean, desert and mountains.

The many national parks and the giant sand dunes in Sossusvlei and Sesriem make it a perfect place for trekking, while Namibia is also home to some of the rarest animals on Earth, such as the black rhino and the Puku antelope.

It is selling points such as these that have already seen rapidly growing interest among international travellers in the southern African nation.

"Tourism in Namibia is growing - it's going from strength to strength," said Mr Schleberger.

"We have new markets on the horizon with Russia and Italy, emerging markets that are doing very well. Next year we are [also] getting into the Arabian market - we hope to open up the market in Dubai in February, and then we will be opening up the market in North America."