Job bonanza from tourism
When taking into account the vast number of jobs the tourism industry creates and supports, there has never been a better case for treating our tourists well.
The travel and tourism industry in Namibia is expected to create 103 000 jobs this year, contributing more than 14% of the country's total employment.
The industry last year directly contributed 2.9% to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) with spending from domestic tourism contributing more than visitors from other countries.
Meanwhile, leisure tourists spent more than business travellers to the country.
This is according to the latest Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2018 Namibia report released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC.) The research conducted by the WTTC covered 185 countries.
According to the report, the travel and tourism industry in Namibia generated 23 000 direct jobs last year which contributed 3.2% of the total employment in Namibia. This includes employment by hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services, but excludes commuter services. The figure also includes the activities of the restaurant and leisure industries that are directly supported by tourists.
The direct employment by the industry is expected to grow to 24 500 this year, which is 6.5% of total employment, while it is predicted that by 2028 travel and tourism will account for 35 000 jobs directly.
Furthermore the total contribution to employment by the travel and tourism industry was 98 000 jobs last year, which was 14% of total employment. This is forecast to increase to 103 000 jobs this year contributing 14.2% of total employment in the country.
By 2028 the industry is expected to support 137 000 jobs.
The impact is massive when one considers that there are between eight and ten dependents per wage earner in Namibia.
The direct contribution of travel and tourism to the GDP last year was N$4.9 billion (2.9% of GDP). According to the report this primarily reflects activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists.
This is expected to increase by 8% to N$5.3 billion this year and to N$10.1 billion (3.7% of GDP) by 2028.
The total contribution of the travel and tourism industry to GDP was nearly five times greater than the direct contribution last year, at N$23.7 billion, representing 13.8% of GDP.
This year the amount is expected to grow to N$25 billion contributing 14.1% of to the GDP. It is also forecast that in the next ten years the total contribution to the GDP will be N$42.6 million by 2028 (15.6% of GDP).
The report also indicates that money spent by foreign visitors to a country - known as visitor exports - is a key component of the direct contribution of the travel and tourism industry.
Last year Namibia generated N$4.3 billion in visitor exports and this is expected to grow by 10.6% this year to N$4.8 billion and by 2028 it is expected to increase to N$8.6 billion.
Meanwhile, leisure travel spending, including both inbound and domestic travellers, generated 81.1% of the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the GDP last year which amounted to N$16.1 billion. This is in comparison with 18.2% for business travel spending that amounted to N$3.5 billion.
Leisure travel spending is expected to grow by 7.1% this year to N$17.2 billion, and to N$29.2 billion in 2028.
Business travel spending is expected to grow by 5.8% this year to N$3.8 billion and increase to N$5.9 billion in 2028.
Also, domestic travel spending generated 77.9% of direct the direct travel and tourism contribution to the country's GDP last year compared with the 22.1% for visitor exports last year.
Domestic travel spending is expected to grow to N$16.2 billion this year to N$26.5 billion in 2028.
Namibia's Tourism Satellite Account (5th Edition) that was launched in January of this year and analysed data from 2005, calculated that Namibia is projected to create close to 50 000 direct jobs and 123 100 indirect jobs by the end of 2020.
It said tourism directly supported more than 44 700 jobs in 2015 which represents 6.5% of the total employment in Namibia, while indirectly it supported 100 700 jobs, representing 14.5% of employment in the country. Meanwhile tourism directly contributed N$5.2 billion in 2015 to the country's GDP which is equivalent to 3.5% of the total GDP, while the sector indirectly contributed N$15.1 billion, representing 10.2% of the GDP.
ELLANIE SMIT
The industry last year directly contributed 2.9% to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) with spending from domestic tourism contributing more than visitors from other countries.
Meanwhile, leisure tourists spent more than business travellers to the country.
This is according to the latest Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2018 Namibia report released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC.) The research conducted by the WTTC covered 185 countries.
According to the report, the travel and tourism industry in Namibia generated 23 000 direct jobs last year which contributed 3.2% of the total employment in Namibia. This includes employment by hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services, but excludes commuter services. The figure also includes the activities of the restaurant and leisure industries that are directly supported by tourists.
The direct employment by the industry is expected to grow to 24 500 this year, which is 6.5% of total employment, while it is predicted that by 2028 travel and tourism will account for 35 000 jobs directly.
Furthermore the total contribution to employment by the travel and tourism industry was 98 000 jobs last year, which was 14% of total employment. This is forecast to increase to 103 000 jobs this year contributing 14.2% of total employment in the country.
By 2028 the industry is expected to support 137 000 jobs.
The impact is massive when one considers that there are between eight and ten dependents per wage earner in Namibia.
The direct contribution of travel and tourism to the GDP last year was N$4.9 billion (2.9% of GDP). According to the report this primarily reflects activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists.
This is expected to increase by 8% to N$5.3 billion this year and to N$10.1 billion (3.7% of GDP) by 2028.
The total contribution of the travel and tourism industry to GDP was nearly five times greater than the direct contribution last year, at N$23.7 billion, representing 13.8% of GDP.
This year the amount is expected to grow to N$25 billion contributing 14.1% of to the GDP. It is also forecast that in the next ten years the total contribution to the GDP will be N$42.6 million by 2028 (15.6% of GDP).
The report also indicates that money spent by foreign visitors to a country - known as visitor exports - is a key component of the direct contribution of the travel and tourism industry.
Last year Namibia generated N$4.3 billion in visitor exports and this is expected to grow by 10.6% this year to N$4.8 billion and by 2028 it is expected to increase to N$8.6 billion.
Meanwhile, leisure travel spending, including both inbound and domestic travellers, generated 81.1% of the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the GDP last year which amounted to N$16.1 billion. This is in comparison with 18.2% for business travel spending that amounted to N$3.5 billion.
Leisure travel spending is expected to grow by 7.1% this year to N$17.2 billion, and to N$29.2 billion in 2028.
Business travel spending is expected to grow by 5.8% this year to N$3.8 billion and increase to N$5.9 billion in 2028.
Also, domestic travel spending generated 77.9% of direct the direct travel and tourism contribution to the country's GDP last year compared with the 22.1% for visitor exports last year.
Domestic travel spending is expected to grow to N$16.2 billion this year to N$26.5 billion in 2028.
Namibia's Tourism Satellite Account (5th Edition) that was launched in January of this year and analysed data from 2005, calculated that Namibia is projected to create close to 50 000 direct jobs and 123 100 indirect jobs by the end of 2020.
It said tourism directly supported more than 44 700 jobs in 2015 which represents 6.5% of the total employment in Namibia, while indirectly it supported 100 700 jobs, representing 14.5% of employment in the country. Meanwhile tourism directly contributed N$5.2 billion in 2015 to the country's GDP which is equivalent to 3.5% of the total GDP, while the sector indirectly contributed N$15.1 billion, representing 10.2% of the GDP.
ELLANIE SMIT
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