WINDHOEK – The tourism industry showed an improvement between January 2013 up to January this year, because of locals who accounted for 46 percent of bed and room occupancy.
According to the monthly Tourism Report issued by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) local dominance is followed by visitors from Germany, Switzerland and Austria with 15 percent and South Africa with 13 percent. Visitors from Europe accounted for 28 percent of all occupants, while only 1 percent came from SADC countries other than South Africa and Angola.
The report also indicates that the number of visitors arriving by air and departing from the region and beyond remained below the numbers seen in January 2013. Moreover, about 29 079 visitors arrived in the country this year in January compared to the 29 246 visitors who arrived in Namibia during the same time last year, while 27 428 left Namibia compared to 29 352 in January last year. The report also states that bed and room occupancy rates continued to improve.
It further noted that room occupancy rates increased to 40 percent in January 2014 compared to 27 percent a year earlier, while bed occupancy rates rose from 15 percent to 34 percent during the same period. “Since these rates exceeded the rates of the base month January 2008, the index increased to 110 and 113 for room and bed occupancy rates respectively, showing an improvement in the tourism industry,” the report states.
The index however, remained above 100 at 119 and 111 for arrivals and departures respectively, since passenger numbers exceeded the numbers in the base month, January 2008.
Additionally, about 17 481, which translates to 60 percent of all passengers arrived from the region, while 11 598 arrived on international flights. Regional departures exceeded regional arrivals by 1 671 and accounted for 70 percent of all departures. Also, fewer passengers who number 8 276 left the country on international flights than those who had arrived. This the report says means that in-coming international aircraft benefited higher occupancy rates than outgoing aircraft. e 002
4 March 2014 Monthly Tourism Report
By Albertina Nakale