How the Media Constructs Namibian Tourism as Escapism for Global Traveler in Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

The Namibian tourism industry is gradually recovering from the pandemic's impact following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. One of the things that is suspected to be a tourism booster is media information. This paper discussesthe construction of Namibian tourism in the Post-Pandemic Era by the media of the Namibia. This research selected the data sample from a website titled “Namibia Endless Horizons” which can be accessed through the official website address visitnambia.com.ina and used Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The result of the analysis, the media does not just convey information but at the same time constructs reality. The reality in this case is tourism in Namibia and the tagline that represents Namibia's image and identity to tourists. Although it is unavoidable that the identity and image of Africa through Liberating, Soul, Rugged, and Natural is to change the stigma that has always been associated with the continent. Namibia's "vastness", on the other hand, offers to unravel the saturation caused by stagnation caused by global pandemics in the last two years or so. Namibia is an escapism for global travelers.