Hosea Kutako International Airport arrivals increased to 25,453 for April 2022 from 4,549 recorded during the same period last year. On a monthly basis, total arrivals increased by 38%. (See figure 1 below) International arrivals have significantly increased in relation to the year 2020. An increase in the number of arrivals was mainly due to the relaxation of most of the Covid-19 restrictions. As a result, national occupancy rates increased to 36.51 % from 16.37% recorded during the 2020 Covid-19 year. (See figure 2)
A positive number of arrivals indicates that the tourism industry is on the recovery path albeit at a slow pace. However, the number of Covid-19 infections is on an upward trajectory and this may lead to modest travelers confidence as a consequence, the number of international arrivals could decrease in the medium term. The outlook for the tourism sector remains uncertain due to the continuous price hikes in commodities and global political strive.
Figure 1: Monthly HKIA Arrivals, Namibia (April 2019-April 2022)
Source: NAC &HEI RESEARCH