By Irene !Hoaes
WINDHOEK
Namibia’s tourism sector topped the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) contributors with about N$6.6 billion in 2006.
About N$1.8 billion of that amount came from the direct impact of the tourism sector, while the rest came from an indirect impact.
The sector generated N$9,5 billion during the past year, 14.2 percent more compared to 2005.
This includes all components of the tourism sector such as consumption, investment, Government spending and exports.
“It is expected that the total demand for travel and tourism activities will increase further by 10.2 percent,” the Namibia Tourism Board’s Chief Executive Officer, Digu //Naobeb, said at the media launch of the Namibia Tourism Expo yesterday.
//Naobeb stated that the travel and tourism sector’s economic contribution showed a healthy increase of 14 percent in 2006.
Preliminary accounts also indicate that travel and tourism’s contribution to the GDP increased by 9,3 percent in 2007.
The figures were obtained through the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) that is a comprehensive quantification of the industry’s contribution to the economy.
The Environment Ministry, the Namibia Tourism Board and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) commissioned the TSA in 2006.
According to the TSA, the industry’s direct impact accounted for 20?