Namibia’s campsite occupancy soared in February 2024, with guests around the country and the SADC region increasing to 577 during the month compared to 22 in January, latest data shows.
According to Simonis Storm’s latest report, the surge in visitor numbers contributed to a total of 202 campsite nights for the month, indicating a significant rise in the popularity of camping as an accommodation option among Namibian and SADC guests in February.
Meanwhile, the firm said that 247 international guests occupied campsites in February, up from 49 in January 2024, with a total of 130 campsite nights in February 2024.
Across the nation, around 94.3% of establishments were occupied for leisure purposes in February, marking an increase compared to February 2023.
Business-related occupancy remained moderate at 4.7%, while the conference-related occupancy rate dropped to 0.9% from 5.2% in February 2023.
“In February 2024, the percentage of Namibians visiting hospitality establishments decreased to 23.1%, down from 24.9% in January 2024 and 33.0% in February 2023. In terms of regional preferences, Southern areas were the most favoured destinations for leisure purposes, while Central areas were primarily chosen for business and conference activities,” said Simonis Storm Researcher Halleluya Ndimulunde.
She expressed optimism for future increases, citing ongoing independence specials by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), offering a 60% discount until March 31, 2024, along with upcoming public holidays.
In February 2024, the Hospitality Association of Namibia conducted a hospitality statistics study involving 60 participants.
The Hospitality Association of Namibia noted 48,445 available rooms in February, mostly in Northern Namibia. However, the national occupancy rate of 36.4% was lower than the 2019 rate of 41.0%.
Meanwhile, the Central area led with a 53.5% occupancy rate, followed by Coastal areas at 40.6%, and Northern and Southern areas at 31.0% and 32.0% respectively. Nationally, there were 100,940 beds available with a 31.7% occupancy rate.
“As usual a notable portion of visitors, accounting for 61.5%, originated from Europe, showing an improvement from February 2023 figures. Among these visitors, a significant proportion came from German-speaking countries, including Germany, Switzerland, and Austria,” noted Ndimulunde.
South Africans constituted 5.8% of visitors, followed by Asians at 3.8% and North Americans at 2.8%. Visitors from the rest of Africa, the Middle East, South America, and other parts of the world accounted for 1.4%, 0.2%, 0.82%, and 0.56%, respectively.
Ndimulunde noted that survey results indicate that economic concerns are the primary obstacle hindering the recovery of international tourism.
“In January 2024, 69% of respondents highlighted the economic environment as a major factor. Additionally, over half (55%) of respondents expressed concerns about higher transportation and accommodation costs impacting the tourism industry,” she said.
Similarly, geopolitical issues, including the war in Ukraine, were cited as concerns by 14% of respondents, while other geopolitical risks were flagged by 19% of respondents.
“Other potential factors affecting the recovery of international tourism include staffing shortages, extreme weather events, and ongoing COVID-19 concerns. It is important to note that the survey was conducted among tourism experts and may not fully reflect the perspectives of tourists themselves,” Ndimulunde said.
