Namibia’s visitor arrivals significantly increased in February to 37,207 passengers, reflecting an 8.1% month-on-month surge and 26.1% year-on-year rise, official figures show.
According to a tourism report by IJG Securities, arrivals in February 2024 exceeded pre-pandemic levels from February 2019 by 15.5%.
The increase is attributed to a rise of 11.4% in international arrivals and a substantial 141.6% increase in domestic arrivals, although regional arrivals experienced a slight decline of 3.5%.
“Passenger arrivals in February are trending below the 6-month moving average, indicating a deviation from the most recent months. We expect this average to be surpassed in Q2 when the peak season commences,” the firm said.
According to the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), year-to-date, passenger arrivals have risen to their highest point since 2016.
“This increase indicates a strong beginning for travel both within Namibia and to the country, promoting hope for a prosperous tourism peak season that typically starts in May,” the association noted.
The HAN reported that tourists from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland made up 40.9% of occupants, followed by Namibians who made up 23.1% of the total tourist pool in February, South Africa at 5.75% and France at 3.9%.
Meanwhile, IJG noted that in January, Namibia saw increased tourist arrivals from Europe, notably from Germany, Switzerland, Austria (up by 5.8 pp), France (up by 0.7 pp), United Kingdom, Ireland (up by 1.3 pp), and Scandinavia (up by 1.0 pp).
“As per the HAN, the high-end tourism segment has particularly garnered increased popularity, further enhancing overall industry performance,” the firm said.
The highest occupancy rate was recorded by hotels (57.2%), followed by tented lodges (39.5%), tented camps (38.6%), and guest farms (34.5%).
