Tourism sector shows uneven demand across regions

Namibia’s hospitality industry performance for June showed varying performance across regions and accommodation types, with some thriving while others struggled.The overall Rooms Occupancy Rate Index for June fell 6.5% compared to May, yet year-on-year figures grew by 8.5%, reflecting a sector still recovering despite short-term setbacks.This is according to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) report on Rooms and Bed Occupancy for June.These findings were released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).Regional differences Regionally, performance diverged sharply. The southern and northern regions weighed down the national outcome, posting declines of 13.4% and 8%, respectively.In contrast, central Namibia recorded a 31.1% increase, while the coastal region grew by 14.6%.Nationwide, of the 60 593 rooms available in June, only 31 100 were sold (51.3% occupancy), reflecting a slight cooling in demand compared to May (54.9%).In the south, despite an increase in room inventory from the previous month, fewer rooms were sold, signalling uneven recovery within the local tourism market. Similarly, the northern region recorded 10 566 unsold rooms, suggesting potential overcapacity or lower visitor inflows.Accommodation types showed further variances.Guest houses bucked the trend, with occupancy rising to 55.4%, while hotels, tented camps, guest farms and rest camps all recorded declines. Tented camps remained the strongest performer at 58%, whereas guest farms fell to 40.6% and rest camps dropped sharply to 44.6%.Bed occupancy rates Despite more beds being available nationwide in June, fewer were sold compared to May.The Bed Occupancy Rate Index fell 9.3% month-on-month, compared to a 3.1% decline in May, and decreased 1.8% year-on-year.The northern region saw the largest drop at 15.2%, followed by the southern region at 11.7%, while the central and coastal regions posted gains of 18.0% and 11.7%, respectively.June vs MayNationwide, 57 730 beds were sold from 136 136 available, down from 63 226 beds sold from 135 175 available in May.The northern region offered 55 852 beds, slightly fewer than in May but more than in June 2024, while the southern region had 51 694 beds, up from May and June 2024. The central region reported 20 220 beds, up from 12 763 in May, whereas the coastal region declined to 8 370 beds from 18 910 the previous month.All categories of hospitality establishments recorded lower bed occupancy rates compared to May. Tented camps led with 51.5%, followed by guest houses at 44.9% and hotels at 40.8%, with guest farms and rest camps showing lower performance.The figures suggest a sector experiencing uneven demand, with central and coastal destinations drawing stronger visitor interest while southern and northern regions face headwinds.

Tourism sector shows uneven demand across regions

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-10

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Tourism sector shows uneven demand across regions

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-10

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