Leisure travel continued to drive Namibia’s hospitality sector in April, with room occupancy nationally reaching 54.94%.
According to Simonis Storm Junior Economist Almandro Jansen,this is slightly below the 58.19% recorded in April 2024 but marginally higher than the April 2019 pre-pandemic level of 54.73%.
“Leisure travel continued to dominate, accounting for 95.16% of all room nights in April. Business travel contributed 3.92%, while conference-related stays remained limited at 0.92%, consistent with April 2024 trends,” he said.
The coastal region outperformed all others with a 60.79% occupancy rate, up from 45.95% in March. The increase was driven by Easter holiday travel, particularly by inland residents visiting the coast.
“Business travellers showed a clear preference for coastal establishments, supported by international delegations tied to Namibia’s energy sector. The coastal region’s business occupancy reached 10.98%, the highest across all regions,” Jansen said.
FlyNamibia’s reinstatement of daily flights between Windhoek and Lüderitz also supported the rise in business travel.
Month-on-month, April occupancy rose 24.1% from March, marking the highest monthly rate of 2025 so far.
However, the year-to-date average occupancy sits at 41.79%, still below the 2019 year-to-date average of 44.92%.
The economist noted that Namibia’s focus on high-end international tourists is helping to shield the sector from broader volatility.
“Luxury travel tends to be more resilient during downturns, as affluent travellers are less likely to scale back on travel. This approach not only supports revenue consistency but also ensures continued inflows of high-spending international visitors who make a meaningful contribution to the economy,” said Jansen.
Regional occupancy varied. The northern region reached 55.50%, supported by events such as the Newspaper Cup and Private Schools’ Weekend in Outjo.
The southern region rose to 53.65% from 48.01% in March. The central region remained the lowest at 44.41%, though slightly improved from 41.55%.
German-speaking countries continued to dominate foreign arrivals.
“As in previous months, the majority of international visitors to Namibia in April 2025 came from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, collectively accounting for 40.29% of total arrivals,” said Jansen.
Domestic travel made up 19.30% of occupancy, down from 26.52% in March.
French tourists accounted for 6.90%. The Benelux market increased from 4.43% to 5.31%, driven by direct flights from Frankfurt and the new Munich–Windhoek route. South African visitors rose to 7.23% from 7.13%.
