A spokesperson from the tourism ministry told local media that the unnamed ‘foreigners’ now face being blacklisted from entering any of the country’s parks.

Namibian authorities have condemned tourists who posed naked at the Big Daddy Dune, the country’s top tourist attraction located in the Namibian desert.

According to reports in the country’s media, locals were shocked to see the tourists posing naked on the Dune during a safari and have called for action against them from authorities.

A spokesperson from Namibia’s Tourism Ministry told local media that photos and a video of the naked tourists have been widely shared, sparking sharp reactions.

The spokesperson said that the unnamed foreigners might be blacklisted from entering any of the parks in the country.

Vice Chairperson of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations, Kenneth Nependa, the tourists’ act, telling the Namibian Sun news website that the behaviour risked attracting tourists “who think anything goes in Namibia.”

“It is very sickening and it really [creates] a bad image for Namibia,” Nependa said, adding that the Big Daddy dune was not just a relaxing place for tourists but for families too.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Romeo Muyunda, also described the behaviour as “extremely shocking” in a statement cited by local media. He said it was public indecency punishable by Namibian law.

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

The tourists had left the country by the time authorities received the reports, he said.

Muyunda appealed to Namibians to report violations of park regulations immediately for swift action.

It is not clear who took the photos and the video of the three male tourists who were seen stark naked in the sandy dune, next to their clothes, but authorities say stern action will be taken against them.

Some social media users, however, have said there was “nothing wrong with sunbathing”.

“Why are they in trouble? They bothered no one,” one user on X (formerly known as Twitter) posted.

The Big Daddy dune is one of the three largest dunes in Namibia’s enormous Namib-Naukluft National Park, one of the largest in the world. The dunes are popular with tourists who hike to the top to have a stunning view across the crests.