Namibian authorities have announced plans to combat badly behaved tourists after a group posed naked on the Big Daddy dune in the Namib Desert.
The three men posted images on social media that were then widely circulated. Authorities responded with strong condemnation of the act.
“When this had been brought to our attention, we were shocked at the extent to which people could go,” said Romeo Muyanda, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
The incident was called “disgusting” by Kenneth Nependa, Vice-Chairperson of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Association, who criticised tourists for thinking that “they can do whatever they want” when visiting the country. He said this followed similar incidents, such as tourists writing graffiti on the Bushman rock art in Spitzkoppe and hanging on trees in the Deadvlei.
The Namibian government is considering banning the offending tourists from entering any of the nation’s national parks, saying it was a punishable act, according to the country’s laws. As a warning to disrespectful tourists in Namibia, Nependa said the law would take its course.
Incidents of tourism misconduct seem to be increasing in recent years, however according to Lauren A. Siegal, tourism and events lecturer at the University of Greenwich in London, tourists behaving badly have always been a problem. What has changed is that the number of tourists has risen to record highs, and social media is causing travellers to perform extreme acts in order to garner attention online, Siegal told BBC.
