Journal of Namibian Studies, 21 (2017): 137 – 138 ISSN: 2197-5523 (online)
Review: Lukas Breitwieser, Die Ge- such a broad and overarching frame- schichte des Tourismus in Namibia. Eine work as in this book. Breitwieser’s aim heterotropische Topologie der Technik , was to provide us with a “gattungs- Basel, Basler Afrika Bibliographien, übergreifende[n] Symbiose aus 2016. schriftlichen und bildlichen Quellen” (p. 47) in order to allow for a multi- Tourism in Namibia is a field of high perspective view of the different phases political and economic relevance. The of the Namibian tourism industry bet- numbers of tourists arriving and the ween 1920 and 1990 and to critically levels of international investment in analyse these phases. Namibia’s tourism sector have grown Die Geschichte des Tourismus in constantly in recent years. 1 New initia- Namibia starts from a clearly defined tives in nature conservation, such as the viewpoint, namely from a European, Peace Parks and the mushrooming particularly German perspective. In his communal conservancies all over introduction Breitwieser describes his Namibia seem to offer solutions for the approach to Namibia, as a researcher protection of wildlife and rural develop- arriving at Hosea Kutako Airport, dis- ment. These solutions are increasingly covering Windhoek for the first time and based on the assumption that the taking a trip to Swakopmund. He streams of tourists coming to hunt or go describes his reflections, thoughts and on safari will continue indefinitely. feelings during these experiences. This Wildlife, Namibia’s most precious asset short personal introduction is followed in this lucrative market, must be by his central approach to the topic, a protected against poachers – and thorough and highly interesting over- increasingly this is being done by armed view of (western) theories and academic forces. At the same time, new and thinking on tourism. Breitwieser’s en- hitherto lesser known tourism sectors gagement with the history of tourism in have come into focus, such as health Namibia, particularly through the con- and shopping tourism, mostly for stant references to the spatiality of visitors from Angola. tourism and its close links to techno- In view of these developments, Lukas logical developments is a further Breitwieser’s monograph on the history contribution to these discourses. of tourism in Namibia is much needed. After this opening, the author discusses As he states himself, there has been the history of international (mostly surprisingly little historical research into German) tourism to Namibia. He tourism in Namibia, particularly not in reproduces anecdotes about safari trips through Namibia from the memoirs of early travellers, and describes the 1 World Travel and Tourism Council, Travel & preparations and general consider- Tourism. Economic Impact 2017 Namibia , ations of the Namibian tourism compa-
Copyright © 2017 Otjivanda Presse.Essen ISSN 1863-5954 (print) ISSN 2197-5523 (online)
review of tourism-related articles in the Namibian or even African scholar. He South West Africa Annual Magazine and hardly uses any other contributions focuses on the visual aspects of tourism from Namibians outside of the archival in Namibia, namely on maps and material of the few white-owned tourism advertisings. The author then examines businesses and does not include any a number of guidebooks (chapter 5). In interviews. these chapters the author delves more Lukas Breitwieser’s book is a valuable deeply into the nature of tourism in contribution to the theoretical debates Namibia, with many references to how on space, technology and tourism. With touristic infrastructure – if understood its focus on Namibia, Breitwieser pres- as material dispositive – added to the ents an interesting case study of a construction, imagination, consumption region that has become one of the most and reproduction of Namibian tourism successful African tourism destinations. spaces (p. 326). Hence the book offers a thorough It is, however, precisely the ‘space’ and history of tourism to Namibia. What has the history in which this tourism yet to be published though is a study happens that remains surprisingly which examines the role tourism has vague in this study. Breitwieser stresses played in Namibia’s history that en- in his introduction that tourism is only gages with tourism as something that defined and its topology only estab- happens in Namibia involving Namibians lished through individual and social of different backgrounds, embedded negotiations and appropriation. But within the country’s economy, politics after stating that, the book often reverts and histories. to a narrow understanding of local and regional social, political and economic histories. For example, Breitwieser claims that for tourism businesses apartheid Luregn Lenggenhager only meant more administrative costs. Centre for African Studies, Basel Here he completely ignores the many ways in which tourism businesses might also have profited from an apartheid system, be it by availing of cheap labour, by having ‘traditionlized spaces’ for Africans sealed off, or through the support for the so-called conservation of ‘uncivilized tribes’. The fact that the author hardly establishes any links to these developments, histories and politics in Namibia that were not a direct consequence of international tourists coming to Namibia is also reflected in the literature and sources he used. Sadly, there is no reference to any
138