Tourism occupancy rates highlight new visa concerns

Accommodation establishments in Namibia recorded an overall occupancy rate of 47.3% in June, 3% lower than during the same period last year and 4% lower than in June 2019, the pre-Covid period.The year 2019 is considered the last pre-pandemic year for tourism, with the CEO of the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), Gitta Paetzold, noting that June has traditionally been a quiet month for tourism in Namibia before the onset of the high season in July.“This may be mere coincidence, following Namibia&#039;s announcement at the end of May this year of a more stringent visa regime affecting all of the country&#039;s key source markets as of next year.”Concerns highlightedPaetzold said it is still premature to comment on the effect the new visa regulations will likely have on the country&#039;s tourism sector. However, there is no denying the concerns the industry has, she said.These include information on the new visa system, the full process and whether multi-entry visas will be provided, as well as whether a special dispensation is being prepared for day visitors.“With the added threat of sharp price increases on long-haul flights in Europe, due to added climate levies and taxes, the Namibian tourism industry faces some serious challenges in the months to come.”Namibia has decided to require visas for nationals from 33 countries, who will qualify for visas upon arrival by paying the prescribed fees and meeting the entry requirements for Namibia.The fee has been set at N$1 600 per applicant, with the new visa regulations to be implemented on 1 April next year. Hopeful numbersPaetzold said it is encouraging to see that accommodation numbers for the first half of the year exceeded those of last year by nearly 5% at 43.3% and even outperformed those of 2019, when the occupancy was 40.4%.“These statistics provide evidence that, at least for the bona fide tourism sector – people travelling for holiday and leisure.... have fully recovered since 2019, even if the overall number of people crossing borders into Namibia in the past year has not yet reached the levels of 2019."Per the occupancy statistics for June, positive growth is reflected from the central European markets, in particular France (6.9%), Italy (4.1%), and German-speaking countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (28.1%).

Tourism occupancy rates highlight new visa concerns

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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Tourism occupancy rates highlight new visa concerns

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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