Namibia’s tourism sector has opened the year under pressure, with new figures revealing a noticeable dip in accommodation performance despite signs of increased travel activity into the country.
The Annual Tourism Accommodation Occupancy Report for January, compiled by the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), shows that national occupancy declined to 33.7% — down more than 4% from 37.8%. The figure also falls slightly below the 34.3% recorded in 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted global travel patterns.
While the overall numbers point to a slowdown, the domestic market provided a measure of encouragement. HAN CEO Gitta Paetzold highlighted an increase in domestic tourism during January, which reached 32.8% — more than 3% higher than the 29.47% recorded in 2052.
The growth indicates stronger local travel activity at the start of the year.
Regionally, the central part of the country stood out. Its strong January performance is likely linked to the international cricket event hosted in Windhoek last month, which appears to have drawn Namibians to the capital to experience the sporting event, said Paetzzold.
On the global stage, sport tourism continues to emerge as a strategic growth opportunity. The UN World Tourism Organization, now operating as UN Tourism, identifies sport tourism as a highly promising and underutilised sector in Africa. The market is projected to reach US$20 billion by 2035, with major sporting events seen as catalysts for infrastructure development, economic diversification, job creation and enhanced destination branding.
Paetzold further noted that although arrival figures into Namibia seem to have increased, based on the latest statistics from the Namibia Airports Company, the decline in occupancy at registered establishments may reflect a growing number of incoming travellers choosing unregistered accommodation providers. The performance of these establishments remains unaccounted for in official data, making it difficult to determine the full picture of sector performance.
