Record growth for tourism
The tourism industry is one of the few sectors to have shown sustainable growth throughout the economic crisis.
Namibia recorded a record number of 1.46 million tourists last year, representing an increase of 5.9% from the previous year when 1.38 million tourists visited the country.
The total number of foreign arrivals in 2016 increased by 3.6% from the previous year, from 1.51 million to 1.57 million.
This was announced by the tourism minister, Pohamba Shifeta, when he launched the Tourist Statistical Report for 2016.
The report indicates that of the 1.57 million foreign arrivals last year, tourist arrivals accounted for 93%, followed by same-day visitors (about 5%) while returning visitors and other categories accounted for 1%.
The largest number of foreign visitors in 2016 came from Angola (398 939) and South Africa (342 044).
From Europe there were 294 889 recorded tourist arrivals in Namibia, an increase of 26.2% compared to the previous year.
There was also a 10.1% increase in the number of tourist visitors from North America to 35 624. Of these, 27 264 were from the United States, representing an increase of 11.6%.
The biggest Asian market was China with 12 512 tourists and a growth of 8.8% compared to the previous year.
Arrival figures for the United Arab Emirates were also compiled for the first time in 2016 and saw 3 705 tourists registered.
Shifeta said tourist arrivals had increased consistently since Namibia gained independence in 1990.
Statistics for the past five years indicate that tourist arrivals have been experiencing a commendable growth and increase since 2012 from 1.078 million to the current 1.46 million recorded last year.
“These figures give us confidence that we are making good progress in our efforts to grow and develop the tourism industry as a global sector.”
He added that tourism was one of the few sectors to have shown sustainable growth throughout the economic crisis.
Shifeta said the country needed to capitalise on the increase in international airlines, which results in more tourist arrivals, by investing in infrastructure to meet the demand.
“Now that we have more international airlines landing in Namibia it is having an impact on the tourism. But the challenge is the facilities. I was at the airport and it is very disappointing that people are standing in long queues.”
He pointed out that the airport was designed to handle a maximum of 200 people at a time and was now handling about 1 000 people when several airlines landed at once.
“We need to innovate and do something. Our visitors are getting frustrated. And soon they will be standing in the heat and in rain. It needs to be addressed.”
Furthermore, Shifeta said another challenge for the country is proper training in the hospitality and tourism industry and addressing poor customer service.
According to him, the country's training institutions are not meeting the needs of the industry and therefore the country is now sitting with a number of students without proper skills and no jobs.
“It does not make sense to train just for the sake of training.”
Shifeta said the Advisory Council must address this.
“I have noticed at establishments the poor training and that they do not understand customer service at all. They do not understand that if they do not give service they will be out of a job.”
He added that the hospitality industry is very sensitive and if a mistake is made people will not return to the establishment.
“We are lacking customer service, but it is not only in hospitality, it is generally. It is money that matters and not the client.”
He said in the public service tourists are being treated even worse.
Shifeta therefore said that not only prospective employees should be trained in customer service but also current employees.
“It is poor, very poor. Some of them have already been in the industry for ten years but refuse to understand change and the sensitivity of the industry.”
Other challenges that he mentioned were the cost of doing business in Namibia, poor intersectoral coordination and cooperation, access to capital for transformation of the sector, the absence of a national marketing strategy and weak domestic marketing.
He said for the last five years the tourism sector had been growing year-on-year at an average of 6% despite the global economic adversities.
Shifeta said in order to maintain these numbers efforts must be redoubled to ensure Namibia remains a value-for-money destination.
ELLANIE SMIT
The total number of foreign arrivals in 2016 increased by 3.6% from the previous year, from 1.51 million to 1.57 million.
This was announced by the tourism minister, Pohamba Shifeta, when he launched the Tourist Statistical Report for 2016.
The report indicates that of the 1.57 million foreign arrivals last year, tourist arrivals accounted for 93%, followed by same-day visitors (about 5%) while returning visitors and other categories accounted for 1%.
The largest number of foreign visitors in 2016 came from Angola (398 939) and South Africa (342 044).
From Europe there were 294 889 recorded tourist arrivals in Namibia, an increase of 26.2% compared to the previous year.
There was also a 10.1% increase in the number of tourist visitors from North America to 35 624. Of these, 27 264 were from the United States, representing an increase of 11.6%.
The biggest Asian market was China with 12 512 tourists and a growth of 8.8% compared to the previous year.
Arrival figures for the United Arab Emirates were also compiled for the first time in 2016 and saw 3 705 tourists registered.
Shifeta said tourist arrivals had increased consistently since Namibia gained independence in 1990.
Statistics for the past five years indicate that tourist arrivals have been experiencing a commendable growth and increase since 2012 from 1.078 million to the current 1.46 million recorded last year.
“These figures give us confidence that we are making good progress in our efforts to grow and develop the tourism industry as a global sector.”
He added that tourism was one of the few sectors to have shown sustainable growth throughout the economic crisis.
Shifeta said the country needed to capitalise on the increase in international airlines, which results in more tourist arrivals, by investing in infrastructure to meet the demand.
“Now that we have more international airlines landing in Namibia it is having an impact on the tourism. But the challenge is the facilities. I was at the airport and it is very disappointing that people are standing in long queues.”
He pointed out that the airport was designed to handle a maximum of 200 people at a time and was now handling about 1 000 people when several airlines landed at once.
“We need to innovate and do something. Our visitors are getting frustrated. And soon they will be standing in the heat and in rain. It needs to be addressed.”
Furthermore, Shifeta said another challenge for the country is proper training in the hospitality and tourism industry and addressing poor customer service.
According to him, the country's training institutions are not meeting the needs of the industry and therefore the country is now sitting with a number of students without proper skills and no jobs.
“It does not make sense to train just for the sake of training.”
Shifeta said the Advisory Council must address this.
“I have noticed at establishments the poor training and that they do not understand customer service at all. They do not understand that if they do not give service they will be out of a job.”
He added that the hospitality industry is very sensitive and if a mistake is made people will not return to the establishment.
“We are lacking customer service, but it is not only in hospitality, it is generally. It is money that matters and not the client.”
He said in the public service tourists are being treated even worse.
Shifeta therefore said that not only prospective employees should be trained in customer service but also current employees.
“It is poor, very poor. Some of them have already been in the industry for ten years but refuse to understand change and the sensitivity of the industry.”
Other challenges that he mentioned were the cost of doing business in Namibia, poor intersectoral coordination and cooperation, access to capital for transformation of the sector, the absence of a national marketing strategy and weak domestic marketing.
He said for the last five years the tourism sector had been growing year-on-year at an average of 6% despite the global economic adversities.
Shifeta said in order to maintain these numbers efforts must be redoubled to ensure Namibia remains a value-for-money destination.
ELLANIE SMIT
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