Namibia remains high in demand for leisure travellers from around the world with the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) stating that going forward, 2024 holds promises of further growth, 

Commenting on tourism occupancy reports for December 2023, chief executive officer of the HAN Gitta Paetzold noted that international trends for 2024 include even more demand for the high-end, high-quality tourism.

She said it is encouraging to see the development of many such new properties offering this service in Namibia.  

“Furthermore, global operators predict that camping will go premium, with an increasing demand for camping travel across the globe, a market also well-served by Namibia. Furthermore, sustainable and family travel are in demand and journeys that allow for memories to be made and where better, than in rugged, soulful, inspiring and natural Namibia,” Paetzold stated. 

The latest HAN figures indicate the average room sales in 2023 ended up just under 2% lower than in 2019 and the average bed occupancy was just over 1% higher than four years ago.

This, Paetzold noted, speaks to the increase in the share of leisure travel to Namibia, which saw more than double the room occupancy when compared to business travel. 

In fact, the portion of leisure travel in 2023 was just under 90%, compared to just under 84% in 2019. According to Paetzold, this is a sign that both the business and conference travel markets have not yet recovered to the extent that the leisure travel market has recovered and even grown last year.

“Everything thus points towards a continuation of healthy growth, both in terms of numbers and revenue for Namibia’s tourism sector,” Paetzold indicated. 

HAN figures also show that the share of Namibian visitors at HAN tourism establishments dropped slightly last year, from 26% to just over 22.7%, while the South African component also saw a drop to 7.14% in 2023. 

Meanwhile, European markets all saw a healthy increase with German speaking countries constituting some 34% of total guests, up from just under 30% in 2019, while the French and Italian markets saw increases of about 1.5% each. 

“While aware of the growing economic downturn in European countries too, the number of people there are still financially strong enough to travel, and the habitual strong urge to travel by Europeans in general makes this a secure travel source market,” Paetzold stated. She added that the US market has also shown a healthy growth, reaching 4.12% in 2023, while visitors from the UK & Ireland made up over 3.6% of HAN guests in accommodation establishments.

“From discussions with some players in the industry, it would seem as though these occupancy indicators, while reflective of tourist movement into Namibia may not include the visibly high increase in self-drive and camping tourism in Namibia, while the occupancy figures also do not reflect the healthy growth in tourism revenue through especially the growing high-end tourism segment gaining popularity in Namibia,” Paetzold added. 

Also weighing in on the latest accommodation figures, stock brokerage Simonis Storm (SS) welcomed the positive witnessed in the tourism sector. 

“In 2024, the international travel industry is witnessing a notable evolution towards upscale and quality-focused tourism. This trend is particularly evident in Namibia, where there is an increasing development of properties tailored to offer luxurious travel experiences. These new establishments are characterised not only by their luxury but also by their commitment to providing unique and authentic experiences, catering to the preferences of modern, adventure-seeking travellers,” SS stated in its analysis of the figures. 

In its report, SS noted that December 2023 saw considerable activity in the hospitality sector, with 69 participants across different regions. December, marked by festivities, offered more than 51 100 rooms, of which almost 20 000 were occupied, resulting in a nation-wide occupancy rate of 38.96%.

The coast led in terms of room occupancy during December 2023, followed by the southern and central regions. 

According to SS, this trend is linked to leisure activities commonly sought during the festive season, as people looked to relax and celebrate the festive season. 

“Concurrently, the global tourism market is observing a growing interest in premium camping experiences. This shift towards ‘glamping’ or glamorous camping is congruent with Namibia’s natural offerings, as the country is renowned for its vast, unspoiled landscapes,” SS stated. 

The stock brokerage continued that Namibia’s diverse geography positions it as an attractive destination for emerging travel preferences. 

“The country provides a natural setting for immersive experiences that blend the allure of nature with the comforts of luxury tourism. This trend is further highlighted by the selection of ‘Where the sun drops into the Sea’ as a theme song for summer travel promotions by DER Touristik, one of Europe’s major tour operators as noted by the Hospitality Association of Namibia. The song symbolises the captivating beauty of Namibian sunsets over the Atlantic, underscoring the tranquil and majestic experiences available to visitors,” SS added. 

The recorded bed availability nationwide in December 2023 stood at just over 105 000, accompanied by an occupancy rate of 37.19%. 

SS further pointed out the festive season predominantly witnessed leisure travel, constituting 96.69% of all stays, solidifying Namibia’s reputation as a primary leisure destination. Coastal region leisure occupancy was 99.9%, followed by 97.3% in the northern region. SS also pointed out that bed and breakfast appeared as the most preferred accommodation type during the festive period, closely trailed by hotels with rooms under 30. Hotel pensions ranked as the least preferred category of accommodation.