The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) says the country’s tourism industry experienced a surge in leisure travels last year, with 90% of total visits.
The 90% is a significant uptick from the 84% recorded in 2019 and signifies a clear preference for immersive and experiential travel.
HAN Chief Executive Officer, Gitta Paetzold, said while the average room sales in 2023 may have ended up just under 2% lower than in 2019, the average bed occupancy is over 1% higher than four years ago, which speaks to the increase in the share of leisure travels to Namibia.
Meanwhile, Namibian visitors to local establishments decreased from 26% to just over 22.7%, while the South African component saw a marginal drop to 7.14% in 2023.
In contrast, European markets, especially the German-speaking countries, witnessed a healthy increase, comprising 34% of total guests.
“While aware of the growing economic downturn in European countries too, the number of people there still financially strong enough to travel, and the habitual strong urge to travel by Europeans, in general, makes this a secure travel source market,†she said.
Paetzold further explained that the US market also demonstrated robust growth with a 4.12% increase in 2023, while visitors from the UK and Ireland made up over 3.6% of guests in Namibian accommodations.
“Industry insiders suggest that reported occupancy figures may not fully capture the surge in self-drive and camping tourism, both from international and local travelers,†she said.
She added that Namibia’s tourism industry anticipates further growth, with leisure travels continuing to be a focal point. International trends for the upcoming year indicate an increased demand for high-end, quality tourism.
“Furthermore, global operators predict that camping will go premium, with an increasing demand for camping travel across the globe, a market also well served by Namibia,†she said.
