Namibia tourism under pressure as occupancy slips
Namibia’s accommodation sector saw a modest but worrying decline in 2025, with national room occupancy falling below 52%.
The drop has renewed concerns over access, affordability and the country’s competitiveness in a rapidly changing regional tourism market.
The 2025 Annual Tourism Accommodation Occupancy Report, compiled by the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), shows that average occupancy stood at 51.99%.
This marks a shift from 54.4% in 2024 and is 1.5 points below the 53.5% recorded in 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
HAN CEO Gitta Paetzold said the figures are based on data received from members across the country, covering a range of accommodation types, including hotels, lodges and bed-and-breakfasts.
Paetzold said the data indicates a noticeable rise in European tourists staying in accommodation in December 2025 compared with 2019.
Occupancy from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) rose slightly, from 35.6% in 2024 to 35.8% in 2025 – 6 percentage points higher than the 29.83% recorded in 2019.
While generally higher than the rest of the year, the percentage of Namibian guests at establishments in December also increased slightly to 31.6% in 2025 from 31.08% in 2024 but is down from 37% in 2019.
“Unfortunately, the report does not reflect the visible increase of visitors from our neighbouring countries over the festive season, who also frequented activity hubs and recreational offerings, and we can only assume that unlisted or unregistered accommodation facilities were used to provide accommodation for our visitors from across the border,” Paetzold noted.
Challenges amid positive outlook
However, despite an overall decline in occupancy, the Namibian tourism industry remains cautiously optimistic about prospects for 2026, though challenges persist.
Forward bookings are down compared with previous years, with HAN citing limited access, airlift availability and visa issues as factors behind the slower pace of reservation confirmations.
“Namibia is also again being termed an expensive destination, not only due to the high airfares but also the services offered on the ground, and as such, looming prospects of added levies and taxes on the tourism sector are seen as an added threat to the industry.”
Paetzold added that global political developments appear to have affected the appetite for long-term travel planning.
“The global traveller is now hesitant to confirm bookings and make financial commitments through deposits far in advance of travel plans," HAN said.
Better record-keeping and registration of tourism service providers is essential to capture the full scale of tourism development in Namibia, Paetzold added, with both the tourism ministry and the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) encouraged to ensure that everyone aligns with the national tourism spatial master plan.
Synergy
HAN noted that Namibia has many positives, including being rated the most authentic tourism destination and its focus on sustainable and conscious travel experiences, which enhance the country’s image.
However, reports of rising crime against tourists, concerns over access and visa requirements, and the need to realign travel advisories are contributing to growing hesitancy among visitors to make early travel plans.
As neighbouring countries such as Angola, Zambia and South Africa make significant tourism development investments—with Angola focusing heavily on infrastructure and destination marketing—Namibia is advised to prioritise collaboration to tackle challenges in safety, positioning, pricing and promotion.
Paetzold said this approach is aimed at ensuring Namibia remains a top choice for global travellers in 2026.
The drop has renewed concerns over access, affordability and the country’s competitiveness in a rapidly changing regional tourism market.
The 2025 Annual Tourism Accommodation Occupancy Report, compiled by the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), shows that average occupancy stood at 51.99%.
This marks a shift from 54.4% in 2024 and is 1.5 points below the 53.5% recorded in 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
HAN CEO Gitta Paetzold said the figures are based on data received from members across the country, covering a range of accommodation types, including hotels, lodges and bed-and-breakfasts.
Paetzold said the data indicates a noticeable rise in European tourists staying in accommodation in December 2025 compared with 2019.
Occupancy from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) rose slightly, from 35.6% in 2024 to 35.8% in 2025 – 6 percentage points higher than the 29.83% recorded in 2019.
While generally higher than the rest of the year, the percentage of Namibian guests at establishments in December also increased slightly to 31.6% in 2025 from 31.08% in 2024 but is down from 37% in 2019.
“Unfortunately, the report does not reflect the visible increase of visitors from our neighbouring countries over the festive season, who also frequented activity hubs and recreational offerings, and we can only assume that unlisted or unregistered accommodation facilities were used to provide accommodation for our visitors from across the border,” Paetzold noted.
Challenges amid positive outlook
However, despite an overall decline in occupancy, the Namibian tourism industry remains cautiously optimistic about prospects for 2026, though challenges persist.
Forward bookings are down compared with previous years, with HAN citing limited access, airlift availability and visa issues as factors behind the slower pace of reservation confirmations.
“Namibia is also again being termed an expensive destination, not only due to the high airfares but also the services offered on the ground, and as such, looming prospects of added levies and taxes on the tourism sector are seen as an added threat to the industry.”
Paetzold added that global political developments appear to have affected the appetite for long-term travel planning.
“The global traveller is now hesitant to confirm bookings and make financial commitments through deposits far in advance of travel plans," HAN said.
Better record-keeping and registration of tourism service providers is essential to capture the full scale of tourism development in Namibia, Paetzold added, with both the tourism ministry and the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) encouraged to ensure that everyone aligns with the national tourism spatial master plan.
Synergy
HAN noted that Namibia has many positives, including being rated the most authentic tourism destination and its focus on sustainable and conscious travel experiences, which enhance the country’s image.
However, reports of rising crime against tourists, concerns over access and visa requirements, and the need to realign travel advisories are contributing to growing hesitancy among visitors to make early travel plans.
As neighbouring countries such as Angola, Zambia and South Africa make significant tourism development investments—with Angola focusing heavily on infrastructure and destination marketing—Namibia is advised to prioritise collaboration to tackle challenges in safety, positioning, pricing and promotion.
Paetzold said this approach is aimed at ensuring Namibia remains a top choice for global travellers in 2026.
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