The Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) says it is yet to initiate reviewing charging practices in the hospitality sector, from charging per person to a fixed room rate.
NTB announced the planned review last year. According to NTB’s former Chief Executive Officer, Digu //Naobeb, the need for a pricing review and change still remains. The board is, however, currently undergoing a change in leadership, with //Naobeb’s term having come to an end in June 2023.
“The assessment has been put on hold while the board undertakes a recruitment process for a new head,” he told The Brief.
The review arises amid concerns that the current pricing system is impeding the expansion of tourism and is burdensome for Namibian travellers.
“Whether you stay alone or you are two, there is one charge. We are advising them because pricing per sharing is more costly because Namibians tend to travel in groups because we are more family-oriented, and the more expensive it becomes,” //Naobebs said last year.
As part of the review plans, the NTB had planned to host a seminar in collaboration with experts in international pricing to share their best practices and thereby provide guidance to the industry, encouraging a shift away from the current approach of charging per person per night toward a room rate model.
According to the latest tourism data, Namibia recorded a national hotel occupancy rate of 65.5% in October, an uptick from the 54.6% rate recorded in October 2022.
In its latest report, Simonis Storm Securities revealed that in October 2023, the coastal region emerged with the highest occupancy rate, reaching an impressive 71.9%.
Following closely behind, the northern area maintained a robust rate of 69.2%, having led for two consecutive months.
In comparison, the southern and central areas recorded rates of 62.1% and 60.8%, respectively.
