Namibia’s accommodation sector recorded a noticeable dip in performance this October, with national occupancy standing at 61.65%—a decline of more than 3% compared to the same month last year and over 8% lower than in 2019.
This is according to the Hospitality Association of Namibia’s (HAN) first draft review of October 2025, signalling a softening in key market segments despite sustained international interest.
According to the CEO of HAN, Gitta Paetzold, the latest figures show that the downturn is largely driven by a decline in the domestic and regional markets, with fewer Namibians and South Africans booking into registered accommodation establishments.
While Namibia’s core European source markets continue to dominate—and in some cases even exceed their 2019 levels—the absence of local travellers is shaping the overall slowdown.
Paetzold said that a notable concern is the lack of reliable data on Namibian travellers who may be opting for unregistered or unlisted accommodation providers, such as private Airbnb or informal self-catering units.
Without evidence of these alternative stays, Paetzold said that the data suggest a simple truth: that Namibians are travelling less.
She, however, said that occupancy statistics—while widely used—represent just one element of the tourism value chain.
According to her, the broader industry encompasses transport, aviation, hospitality, gastronomy, suppliers, entertainment and logistics, forming a far deeper economic ecosystem than accommodation data alone can reflect.
Paetzold noted that at last week’s Travel Namibia Festival held in Windhoek, industry experts highlighted a stark discrepancy in the country’s official reporting.
While the most recent Tourism Satellite Account (2023) estimates tourism’s contribution to GDP at just 2%, updated assessments suggest the sector’s real economic impact—accounting for direct, indirect and induced spending—may be closer to 17% of Namibia’s entire economy.
This gap, Paetzold said, is widened by the number of operators who continue to function outside the regulated accommodation system, meaning their occupancy figures are not captured in monthly industry reports nor reflected in tax records or national accounts.
As a result, both the performance and true value of Namibia’s tourism sector may be significantly under-reported.
Paetzold said that improved, modernised, and expanded data-collection systems are essential if Namibia is to accurately measure the real weight of its tourism industry—an industry that financial analysts at Cirrus Capital recently described as the “engine of Namibia’s economy.”
She said that HAN is calling for coordinated national efforts to ensure that the country’s tourism metrics reflect the full picture, enabling better planning, investment, and recognition of one of Namibia’s most powerful economic drivers.
This is according to the Hospitality Association of Namibia’s (HAN) first draft review of October 2025, signalling a softening in key market segments despite sustained international interest.
According to the CEO of HAN, Gitta Paetzold, the latest figures show that the downturn is largely driven by a decline in the domestic and regional markets, with fewer Namibians and South Africans booking into registered accommodation establishments.
While Namibia’s core European source markets continue to dominate—and in some cases even exceed their 2019 levels—the absence of local travellers is shaping the overall slowdown.
Paetzold said that a notable concern is the lack of reliable data on Namibian travellers who may be opting for unregistered or unlisted accommodation providers, such as private Airbnb or informal self-catering units.
Without evidence of these alternative stays, Paetzold said that the data suggest a simple truth: that Namibians are travelling less.
She, however, said that occupancy statistics—while widely used—represent just one element of the tourism value chain.
According to her, the broader industry encompasses transport, aviation, hospitality, gastronomy, suppliers, entertainment and logistics, forming a far deeper economic ecosystem than accommodation data alone can reflect.
Paetzold noted that at last week’s Travel Namibia Festival held in Windhoek, industry experts highlighted a stark discrepancy in the country’s official reporting.
While the most recent Tourism Satellite Account (2023) estimates tourism’s contribution to GDP at just 2%, updated assessments suggest the sector’s real economic impact—accounting for direct, indirect and induced spending—may be closer to 17% of Namibia’s entire economy.
This gap, Paetzold said, is widened by the number of operators who continue to function outside the regulated accommodation system, meaning their occupancy figures are not captured in monthly industry reports nor reflected in tax records or national accounts.
As a result, both the performance and true value of Namibia’s tourism sector may be significantly under-reported.
Paetzold said that improved, modernised, and expanded data-collection systems are essential if Namibia is to accurately measure the real weight of its tourism industry—an industry that financial analysts at Cirrus Capital recently described as the “engine of Namibia’s economy.”
She said that HAN is calling for coordinated national efforts to ensure that the country’s tourism metrics reflect the full picture, enabling better planning, investment, and recognition of one of Namibia’s most powerful economic drivers.
