The majority of guests at hospitality establishments nationwide predominantly hail from Europe, with Germany, Switzerland, and Austria collectively constituting the largest share of international tourist arrivals at 42.3 percent, according to October tourism numbers.
France follows closely behind, accounting for 7.4 percent of the total international tourist arrivals. At a regional level, South Africa is noteworthy, representing 4.4 percent of the aggregate guest composition in hospitality establishments throughout Namibia.
Namibia’s hospitality sector exhibited resilience in October, with national occupancy rates holding steady at 65.5 percent, consistent with the figures reported in September. This marked an improvement from the 54.6 percent occupancy rate recorded in October 2022.
According to the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), leisure travel continued to be a significant driver of occupancy rates at accommodation establishments. In October, 89.6 percent of occupancy was attributed to leisure travellers, while business travellers accounted for 9.9 percent (a slight decrease from the 10.1 percent reported in September but a substantial increase compared to the 2.7 percent rate observed in October 2022. Conference travellers, however, comprised only 0.4 percent of occupancy in October, down from 1.2 percent in September.
In October, the coastal region emerged with the highest occupancy rate, reaching an impressive 71.9 percent. This marks a significant milestone, as it is the first time the rate has surpassed 70 percent since October 2018. Following closely behind, the Northern area maintained a robust rate of 69.2 percent having led for two consecutive months. In comparison, the Southern and Central areas recorded rates of 62.1 percent and 60.8 percent, respectively.
These statistics vividly highlight the variations in tourism demand across these regions, with the coastal and northern areas standing out as the most favoured destinations among tourists in October.
“The Namibian tourism sector remains a vital contributor to the country’s economy, establishing significant connections with other industries and serving as a crucial driver of job creation. Given its reliance on Namibia’s abundant unskilled labor, the tourism sector emerges as a viable solution to address high unemployment rates, particularly in rural areas. Consequently, as the holiday season approaches, we anticipate the tourism industry to continue bolstering local economic activity for the remainder of the year,” Simonis Storm Securities said in a commentary.
