Namibia achieved a national hotel occupancy rate of 49.2% in March 2024, marking a significant improvement from February’s 36.3% and surpassing the 43.7% recorded in March 2023, latest data reveals.
According to a tourism report by Simonis Storm, the average occupancy rate for the first quarter of 2024 was 40.3%, compared to 54.0% in the previous quarter and 37.5% in the same period of 2023.
The firm’s researcher Halleluya Ndimulunde noted that this marks the highest quarterly occupancy rate since the start of the pandemic, signalling a positive beginning for the local tourism sector.
Meanwhile, March 2024 saw the coastal areas of Namibia achieving the highest occupancy rates, peaking at 55.3%, this was closely followed by the central regions, which posted rates of 53.9%, and the southern areas at 49.5%.
“Conversely, the northern regions experienced the lowest occupancy, with a rate of 45.8%. In March 2024, a total of 26,533 rooms were sold, marking a year-on-year increase of 19.1% and also the highest number of rooms sold nationwide since October 2023,” said Ndimulunde.
This comes as leisure tourism remains the cornerstone of the industry, drawing 93.1% of all visitors in March 2024.
The segment for business travellers also showed growth, increasing to 6.5% from 4.7% the previous month, while conference attendees made up a modest 0.4%.
Ndimulunde observed that the demographics of March’s visitors reveal a predominance of Europeans, who constituted 56.3% of the total.
“This was significantly higher than the proportion of local guests, who accounted for 27.1% of occupancy in hospitality establishments, and South Africans, who represented 7.1%. This distribution highlights the continued appeal of Namibia as a prime destination for diverse tourist activities, particularly from European markets,” she explained.
The firm projects a GDP growth rate of 3.4% for 2024, with the tourism sector playing a crucial role in achieving this target.
Ndimulunde said the sustained increase in both international arrivals and domestic occupancy rates highlights the industry’s vital contribution to the national economy’s dynamism.
“While business and conference tourism has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, the significant potential for expansion in these areas remains untapped. The recent surge in passenger numbers not only indicates a revival in tourism activities but also points to a broader enhancement in economic operations and increased revenue generation for the country,” she said.
During the period between January and February 2024, the collective number of international arrivals at various nationwide airports amounted to 71,584 passengers, showing an increase from the 57,921 passengers recorded during the corresponding period in 2023.
However, it is noteworthy that these figures, while showing improvement, remain lower than the pre-pandemic benchmark of 88,907 passengers observed in 2019, said the report.
On a monthly average, Ndimulunde highlighted that the first two months of 2024 saw 35,792 arrivals, compared to an average of 28,961 in 2023, indicating a sustained positive momentum.
In February 2024, Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) continued to lead as the primary gateway for passenger arrivals in Namibia, recording the highest number of passengers.
Eros Airport and Walvis Bay also showed increased activity, with 3,487 and 3,070 passenger arrivals, respectively.
“The data emphasizes the significant position of HKIA within Namibia’s aviation industry, while also highlighting the valuable role played by smaller airports in facilitating regional travel and tourism. Additionally, this distribution of arrivals offers insights into the preferred geographical locations and travel behaviours within the country,” said Ndimulunde.
