The National occupancy rates have been displaying excellent results since the start of the global Covid-19 pandemic increasing to 51.8 % for April 2023. National occupancy increased by 11.1% when compared to March 2023 (figure 1). The coastal part of the country recorded the highest occupancy rate of 58.12% for April 2023 followed by the Nothern part recording 56.04% and the central part of the country recorded the lowest occupancy rate of 37.27%. The country’s primary driver of tourism continues to be leisure tourism which accounted for 98.2% of visitors during the month under review. A consistent positive trend in occupancy rates for Namibia confirms a robust recovery in the tourism sector as it continues to display green shoots on the horizon for the recovery of the entire tourism sector signifying greater utilization, demand, and efficiency within the sector.
According to the Hospitality Association of Namibia, most visitors in April 2023 came from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Visitors from those 3 countries constituted over 40% of all visitors for March 2023 compared to 30% in 2019 (figure 2). The market has grown remarkably, this could be attributed to the availability of 10 direct flights per week between Windhoek and Frankfurt.
As the peak travel season for Namibia approaches, the outlook for the national occupancy rates remains positive. This will demonstrate a steady recovery for the tourism industry.
Figure 1: National Occupancy rates vs. HKIA arrivals rooms and beds occupancy rates, Namibia (April 2022- April 2023)
Source: H.A.N & HEI RESEARCH
Figure 2: Occupancy rates by country, April 2023)
Source: H.A.N & HEI RESEARCH