Sebulon Chicalu, the chief executive officer of the Namibia Tourism Board, says Namibia, as a long-distance destination, requires a new approach to attract tourists.
This comes after Namibia is expected to launch a new direct air route with Zambia in March 2026. Proflight Zambia plans to introduce direct flights between Windhoek, Lusaka, and Livingstone.
He explained that travellers from distant countries like Japan might take three or four flights and several days to reach Namibia. Due to such a long journey, tourists are increasingly reluctant to spend all their time in just one country, he said.
“Visitors want more value for their trip. With one ticket or travel route, they want to visit three, four, or even five countries. He said this kind of travel makes the long journey worth it,” he said.
He further explained that this approach could enhance Namibia and the Southern African region’s ability to compete globally. Without collaboration, the region might struggle to attract more tourists.
“Namibia is working with other National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) in the region. He stressed that countries should not view one another as competitors. Instead, they should work together and offer different, but connected tourism experiences,” he said.
By jointly marketing and promoting destinations, Southern African countries can attract more international visitors. This cooperation will also make it easier for airlines to create better routes and support the movement of tourists within the region.
Chicalu said he is hopeful that regional collaboration will strengthen tourism and bring more visitors to Southern Africa.
Chicalu made the remarks on Thursday during a workshop hosted by Namibia Tourism Board, Air Connect Namibia, and Proflight Zambia.
The workshop aimed to strengthen regional connections and explore new travel opportunities between Namibia and Zambia. The session gave tourism and business stakeholders an opportunity to learn more about the new flight routes and discuss how to collaborate to improve travel in the region.
New route
Proflight Zambia announced last year that it would start direct flights between Windhoek and Lusaka from 3 March 2026. The flights will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Proflight Zambia will be the only airline offering direct flights on this route.
The flight schedule is as follows: planes will depart Lusaka at 08:30, make a brief stop in Livingstone, and then continue to Windhoek. Return flights will depart Windhoek at 12:20. The airline said the schedule will also make it easier for passengers to connect from Ndola to Windhoek in the morning, and from Windhoek to Ndola, Solwezi, and Mfuwe in the evening.
The new route is expected to boost tourism, business travel, and cultural exchange between Namibia and Zambia, while improving air connectivity in the region.
Hard work
Speaking at the workshop, Namibia Airports Company Commercial Services and Strategy Executive, Namene Kalili, said that extensive hard work by many partners has helped ProFlight begin operations in Namibia. This success did not come from a single company. It is the result of strong teamwork between state-owned enterprises, government bodies, and private companies.
“Several organisations played an important role in this process. These include NTB, NIPDB, and NCCI. The Walvis Bay Corridor Group supported the work with important data. Gondwana provided useful insights, and the City of Windhoek also participated. The tourism industry was represented through Finata. -pmukokobi@nepc.com.na
