Arrivals Report, 2022
Analysis
- International and regional tourism continues to recover from the Covid-19 crisis at a robust pace. During 2022, the number of National airport arrivals increased to 400,154 when compared to 130,046 recorded the previous year an increase of 208% (See figure 1). The annual increase in arrivals depicts raising confidence that Namibia is a safe destination for travel and tourism post-COVID-19
- Out of 400,154 National airport arrivals, a total of 163,830 were international arrivals, 157,758 were regional arrivals and 78,566 were domestic arrivals. This represents 41% and 39% and 20% of international, regional, and domestic arrivals respectively. Namibia remains heavily reliant on international travelers and hence it is critical to prioritize investment in domestic tourism to minimize undesirable influences brought about by global crises
- On a monthly basis, between November and December 2022, total arrivals declined by 4% (See figure 2). The decline was driven by a decrease in regional arrivals specifically from Katima Mulilo, Ya Toivo, and Rundu Airports
- Moreover, between November and December 2022, domestic arrivals increased by 142%. This was driven by the holiday specials and package initiatives by the Namibia Wildlife Resort (NWR) along with other companies
Figure 1: Total National Airport Arrivals, 2022 vs 2021
Figure 2: Total International, Regional, and Domestic Arrivals, 2022
Outlook
Green shoots of recovery seen in the Namibian tourism sector. This is supported by positive growths recorded for the hotels, cafes, and restaurants sector during the year 2022. The sector recorded a growth of 2.3 during the third quarter of 2022, the highest since quarter 4 of 2019 (pre-pandemic). We anticipate a gradual recovery in the number of arrivals and the entire tourism industry for 2023. The anticipated gradual recovery is at the back of diverse challenges including the economic condition and continued geopolitical uncertainty.