Namibia will host next year's Adventure Travel World Summit, the Namibia Press Agency reported on Thursday. The event, scheduled to take place from October 26-31, 2013, aims to develop new travel options and the industry's “adventure” tourism across the world. It will be the first time the summit is to be held on the African continent. “In choosing Namibia, ATTA in part is recognising our nation's achievements in becoming one of the world's most progressive destinations, working to find the most effective balance between conservation, tourism and community development,” Environment and Tourism Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said at a press conference on Wednesday. The summit will help “prepare Namibia to penetrate markets such as North America and to ensure that tourists will enjoy adventurous holidays in the country,” said the minister. “Marketing Namibia as the best adventurous travel destination is very important from now on in preparations of the summit,” she said. Nandi-Ndaitwah called on the local tourism industry to market quality and affordable packages for tourists in order to capitalize on the meetings that will take place ahead of the summit next year. Ministry of Environment and Tourism's Environment Affairs director Sem Shikongo said that the government will spend about N. dollars 10 million to host the event. The conference has great marketing potential for Namibia, as it attracts tourism operators from around the world who specialize in adventure tourism including nature, wildlife, volunteer tourism, adventure sports and ecotourism.
