Namibia’s tourism sector hails continued growth

Ellanie SmitWINDHOEKNamibia’s tourism sector continues to show steady growth, with the country’s accommodation performance for September and the third quarter of 2025 reflecting encouraging results compared to both the same period last year and pre-pandemic levels.According to Gitta Paetzold, CEO of the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), overall room occupancy during the third quarter of 2025 was more than 2% higher than the corresponding period in 2024, and even over 1% higher than in 2019, which remains a key benchmark year for tourism before the disruptions caused by Covid-19.HAN’s report shows that room occupancy during the third quarter stood at 65.92%, while in 2024 it was 63.15% and in 2019 it was 64.74%.Meanwhile, the occupancy rates for September were 69.72% – last year the figure stood at 62.82%, while in September 2019 it was 67.98%.HAN noted that the positive results underscore the resilience of Namibia’s tourism industry and its ability to sustain growth despite global challenges. The association released both the September 2025 accommodation report and the third-quarter report, providing comparative data to previous years for a deeper analysis of sectoral trends.Optimism despite challengesThe reports show that Central Europe remains Namibia’s strongest source market, with particularly robust performance from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy. HAN attributes this continued growth to the benefits of direct air links between Namibia and several European hubs, which have made travel to the country more accessible and attractive.However, Paetzold cautioned that limited air access continues to constrain the sector’s growth potential.“While we celebrate the achievements of 2025 so far, it’s important to note that high airfares and limited flight availability remain key challenges,” she said.Some key tour operators have reported that forward bookings for 2026 are slower than usual, partly due to elevated travel costs and uncertainty caused by global political tensions. HAN emphasised that addressing air connectivity challenges will be critical to maintaining momentum in Namibia’s tourism recovery.Despite these headwinds, Paetzold expressed optimism about the outlook for the sector, describing 2025’s high season as “a success worth celebrating.”Paetzold encouraged tourism stakeholders to share their positive experiences and promote Namibia’s diverse attractions to continue building Brand Namibia on the international stage.“For now, let us celebrate the successful results of the high season just past,” she said. “These experiences will hopefully inspire many more visitors to discover Namibia and strengthen our position as one of Africa’s top travel destinations.”

Namibia’s tourism sector hails continued growth

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Namibian Sun 2026-03-26

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Namibia’s tourism sector hails continued growth

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Namibian Sun 2026-03-26

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