Tourism remains in recovery mode

Tourism could potentially be one of the strongest performing sectors of the Namibian economy this year, Simonis Storm said yesterday.

Commenting on the latest hospitality statistics, SS said initial indicators suggest that the local tourism and hospitality industry is continuing its recovery.

In January this year, occupancy rates at hospitality establishments nationwide remained higher than those before the pandemic, though they were slightly below the levels seen in January last year.

The room occupancy rates at nationwide establishments were at 36.8% this January, compared to 39.0% the month before and 37.1% in January 2023.

Nationwide, approximately 92.3% of establishments were occupied for leisure purposes in January, a decrease from 96.7% in December 2023, SS said.



Business

Business-related occupancy rose to 7.7% from 3.2% in December 2023, with central areas being the preferred destination.

Conference-related occupancy, however, dropped to 0.02% from 0.13% in December 2023, with central areas remaining the main destination.

“Although business and conference tourism still lag behind 2019 levels, there is potential for significant growth, especially as certain hospitality establishments are poised to accommodate guests attending events such as The Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) and the AviaDev Africa event,” SS said.

The percentage of Namibians visiting hospitality establishments fell to 24.9% in January this year, down from 33.0% in December 2023 and 29.6% in January 2023.

“This decline is consistent with the usual post-holiday normalisation of travel,” SS said.

A significant portion of visitors came from German-speaking countries, as well as France and Italy.