Opportunities for Tourism

Opportunities for Tourism In the Western Suburbs of Windhoek Peter Emmet Katina Montez Lindsey Robbins Opportunities for Tourism In the Western Suburbs of Windhoek An Interactive Qualifying Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science By Peter Emmet Katina Montez Lindsey Robbins Date: May 5, 2004 Report Submitted to: Professor Arthur Gerstenfeld Professor Susan Vernon-Gerstenfeld City of Windhoek, Tourism Division Chief of Tourism Marina Jarrett Manfred !Gaeb Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs iii Executive Summary In many developing nations, communities are at an economic disadvantage due to their history. These areas can be rich in cultural and historical interests, and yet due to their developing status it can be difficult for anyone to notice their true attractiveness. Once in a depressed economic state, many communities find it difficult to rise above it on their own. To assist in their improvement, some developing countries have turned to tourism as a means of bringing more money into the community. Namibia is one such country. Katutura, a western suburb of the city of Windhoek, capitol of Namibia, is a destination the City of Windhoek‟s Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Recreation would like to see benefit from tourism. In 2003, a group of three students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute traveled to Namibia to work with the Tourism Division in researching tourism in Katutura. Their focus was to create a set of recommendations to improve the Katutura Heritage Route, a proposition to increase tourism by providing a historical and cultural route through the suburb. The conclusions they made revealed that many places in Katutura were not yet ready for an increased volume of tourists primarily because they did not meet some basic tourism standards. Katutura is also not very developed or easy to navigate. Finally, there is a problematic lack of awareness by many people in Katutura as to what the benefits of tourism are and why they should care about such development. This year, 2004, our project was more focused but also kept the previous group‟s recommendations in mind. We were assigned two developing businesses to study: Otjikaendu Den, affectionately known as Mama Melba‟s, and Ôasa Taradi, a needlework craft shop. Our goal was to prepare the two businesses for an increased volume of tourists so the community may benefit from the additional currency that Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs iv would flow into Katutura. The objectives we used to accomplish our goal consisted of performing an in depth analysis of the businesses and the environments they are located in, as well as determining the financial and social implications involved with each businesses‟ development. Using this data, we created a set of recommendations as well as a strategic plan for each business to begin implementing immediately. In addition to proposing plans for each business to follow in their pursuit of development, we also began implementation of some of the plans. Our primary recommendation for Otjikaendu Den was to form a partnership with Victory Women‟s Cultural Group, a youth group that performs traditional song and dance locally in Katutura. To implement this, we initiated formal contacts and introductions between the culture group and Otjikaendu Den. We focused on creating an agreement between the two parties to work together to mutually benefit from the tourism industry. In addition to increasing the cultural character of Otjikaendu Den with the partnership with Victory Women‟s Cultural Group, there were improvements necessary in regards to the presentation and restaurant infrastructure. In visiting Otjikaendu Den several times, we observed a strong presence of flies that sometimes travel out into the dining area. We found this uncomfortable and recommended a more sophisticated food storage technique in order to alleviate this problem. In addition, we recommended that Melba Tjahere follow her blueprints that address the addition of ablution facilities and expansions to her dining area. These would all make the tourist feel more comfortable in her restaurant. Our primary recommendation for Ôasa Taradi was to develop their storeroom into a more attractive display setup as well as establish inventory and stay organized. To implement this, we acquired a stock from the products the women sell at Namibia Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs v Craft Centre and displayed them attractively in their storefront. Then we organized the extra items and stocked them in cabinets with labels to stay organized to monitor sales and demand. Following the set up of their store front, we recommended that the women of Ôasa Taradi stay organized and keep track of their inventory. In order to keep their storefront stocked, we recommended that each woman create an extra several products each week to form a more highly developed inventory. Also, if they had more items in stock, they could consider lowering their prices by a small percentage, selling in sets, and increasing sales, in the end earning more. The ladies would also benefit from some basic training in business. We therefore recommended that the City of Windhoek look into educating the women with some business fundamentals. Since Otjikaendu Den is a restaurant and most tours run in the morning and the afternoon, Mama Melba does not receive the business she works so hard to accommodate. Similarly, Ôasa Taradi is also lacking in business because Penduka is a successful craft shop that is already on the route for most tour companies. In order to deliver more tourists to these two businesses, we proposed an alternative tour, The Katutura Lunch Tour. The tour involves lunch and traditional entertainment at Otjikaendu Den, shopping at Ôasa Taradi, and Soweto Market for fat cakes. To prove to tour companies that The Katutura Lunch Tour is worth incorporating into their schedule, we ran one pilot tour with tourists willing to fill out surveys following the experience. We observed their attitudes during the tour, analyzed their responses to the survey, and spoke with the tour guides who conducted the tour to assess how effective the route was. We concluded that the tour has excellent potential to be a tour for those interested in Katutura. As a result of our findings, we also recommend that several additional pilot tours be conducted before Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs vi putting the tour into full rotation. With the continued support of the City of Windhoek and the sustained dedication of individuals such as Melba Tjahere, Victory Women‟s Cultural Group and the ladies of Ôasa Taradi, our recommendations will continue to prepare the community of Katutura to receive and benefit from tourism. Ultimately, the models of analysis used in this project can be utilized in the future to facilitate positive tourism development for other related business in the Katutura area. Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs vii Abstract Working in conjunction with the City of Windhoek, this project concentrates on two businesses in Katutura with a focus on preparing them for tourism. In an effort to benefit the entire community by stimulating the local economy, we dedicated our research to developing the businesses and expanding their respective markets. After careful examination of the businesses, we created recommendations for the development of each business. In an effort to attain immediate results, we then proposed and tested a pilot tour that highlighted the businesses of this project and capitalized on our recommendations. Major tour companies could potentially use this tour when it is proven successful. Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs viii Authorship Executive Summary: LR Chapter 1 - Introduction: KM Chapter 2 - Background: KM, LR, PE Chapter 3 - Methodology: LR, PE Chapter 4 - Data and Results: KM, LR, PE Chapter 5 - Recommendations: KM, LR Chapter 6 - Pilot Tour Results, Conclusions, and Future Directions: LR Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs ix Acknowledgements Our Sponsors: Tourism Division of the City of Windhoek Marina Jarrett, Chief of Tourism Manfred !Gaeb Mariah, Grace, Gladys Our Advisors: Professor Arthur Gerstenfeld Professor Susan Vernon-Gerstenfeld Our Businesses: Otjikaendu Den and Staff Mama Melba Tjahere The Women of Ôasa Taradi Alexandrine Muzorongondo Selma Döeses Victory Women‟s Cultural Group Other Helpful People: Martha Muulyau Christina Ross The neighbors of our businesses Tour Companies: The Cardboard Box – Simon and Ephraim Face to Face Tours – Mandla Karongee Victory Women‟s Movement – Katrina Garises Sense of Africa – Kurt Schelther Our Beloved Driver: Kennedy Chunga Our Host The Polytechnic of Namibia Mbahupu Tjivikua Our Translators from the Polytechnic of Namibia And everyone else who proved to be invaluable to us in our research during our stay here in Namibia Opportunities for Tourism in the Western Suburbs x TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................ III ABSTRACT .................................................................................................. VII AUTHORSHIP ............................................................................................. VIII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................. IX TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................

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