Namibia: Authorities condemn tourists posing naked in Namib Desert

Authorities in Namibia have condemned a group of tourists who posed naked for a photo in the Namib Desert, labelling it a “punishable act” that “violated the country’s laws”. Photo / Getty Images

A photo shared by Namibian authorities showing a group of foreign tourists posing naked in the Namib Desert has been slammed as “sickening”, angering officials and locals in the country.

The photo, circulating on social media, shows the visitors naked atop the ‘Big Daddy Dune’ in Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft National Park in the Namib Desert.

Big Daddy Dune is one of the largest dunes in the national park. Many visitors seek out scenic views from the top.

It has since been shared by authorities in the country who were “shocked” by the incident, with a Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson labelling it a “punishable act” that “violated the country’s laws”.

The BBC reported that Kenneth Nependa, vice-chairperson of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations, told the Namibian Sun: “It is very sickening and it really [creates] a bad image for Namibia”.

Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft National Park is popular for its picturesque landscape. Photo / Getty Images

Nependa said that such incidents made it appear to other tourists that “anything goes” in Namibia, a small country of about 2.5 million people in southern Africa characterised by its arid desert landscape.

Locals were unhappy with the tourists behaving in that way at a popular scenic site in the country and demanded officials pursue action against them.

Namibian authorities have not yet publicly released the names of the tourists in question, but it is believed they left the country before officials were alerted to the incident.

Still, tourism ministers have said that the “extremely shocking” act amounted to public indecency and could result in punishment under local law. This could include a lifetime ban from Namibia’s national parks.

“It is a punishable act, according to the country’s laws. When this had been brought to our attention, we were shocked at the extent to which people could go,” Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said. “We condemn this type of action as it does not only go against our morals but also violates the country’s laws.”

“We can look into the possibility of blacklisting them from entering any of our parks,” Muyunda added.

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Officials have asked for others to report similar incidents to the appropriate authorities so they can be dealt with before visitors leave.

“We appeal to that section of tourists to summon the conscience so that they do the right things,” Muyunda said.

The incident sparked debate online, with many people on social media saying that the tourists weren’t doing anything wrong.

“Why are they in trouble? They bothered no one,” said one person on X (Twitter), while another said there is “nothing wrong with sunbathing”.