Byna 50 000 passasiers aankomelinge in Julie
The tourism peak season of 2024 continued to demonstrate strong performance with total passenger arrivals in July reaching 49 534.
According to the Hospitality Statistics Report by Simonis Storm for July, this is the highest figure recorded this year and the highest since October 2023, although still falling short of the 2019 levels which was over 60 000. The report said that of more than 49 000 passenger arrivals, 44% were international travellers, 45% regional visitors and the remaining 11% were domestic passengers.
“Notably, July 2024 marked the highest international arrivals of the year, while domestic arrivals were the second lowest on record for 2024.”
In contrast, the report said that passenger departures declined in July this year, primarily due to a decrease in international departures as visitors returned to their home countries.
It said that in addition, Air Botswana announced its expansion to new destinations within Namibia and South Africa.
“This strategic move aims to enhance flight connectivity across Southern Africa and beyond.”
The new routes will operate three times a week, with services beginning in October and November this year, respectively
Meanwhile, the national occupancy rate stood at 59.7% in July this year, a slight decrease from 60.8% in July 2023, and closely aligned with the 59.6% rate recorded in July 2019.
According to the report, the northern regions led with an occupancy rate of 62.8%, followed by the central areas at 60.8%, the coastal regions at 59.8%, and the southern regions at 56.5%.
“It is important to note that the central and coastal regions have consistently shown lower participation in the Hospitality Statistics Report. In July 2024, only three participants from the central areas contributed data, compared to 24 in July 2019,” the report pointed out.
It said that leisure tourism remains the primary driver of tourist inflows, accounting for 91.7% of visitors staying in hospitality establishments across Namibia.
The majority of these leisure tourists chose to explore the northern and southern regions.
In terms of accommodation, they predominantly selected bed and breakfasts, hotels, lodges, and tented camps.
Visitors staying at hospitality establishments for business purposes saw a significant increase, comprising 8.2% of visitors nationwide in July this year, up from 2.1% the previous month, indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels.
Business travellers primarily favoured establishments in the central areas, however, occupancy for conference purposes remained subdued, the report said.
It added that new vehicle sales by rental agencies saw an increase in July this year, rising to 141 units from 54 units the previous month.
“Despite this growth, the number of units sold was lower than the 159 units recorded in July 2023.”
The report said that as usual Europeans represented the largest share of visitors, accounting for 66.3%, followed by Namibians at 16.4%.
The proportion of Namibians declined from 22.55% in June 2024, likely due to the current period not being a holiday season in Namibia, which traditionally results in lower domestic travel during these months.
Tourists from South Africa comprised 6.3% of the total, while visitors from North America contributed 5.0%. Asian travellers accounted for 2.7%, and the rest of Africa provided 1.7%. Other regions of the world contributed smaller shares, with South America at 0.6%, the Middle East at 0.3%, and other areas at 0.8%.
It said that a standout observation is the record high of 11.6% for Benelux tourists (Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg), the highest in their data history spanning over five years.
According to the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), July and August are traditionally peak travel months for the EU.
“Although there was a slight decline in visitors from France—likely due to the Olympics and other events—the Benelux market has filled this gap. This trend reflects the strong market presence of Benelux tourists, bolstered by targeted efforts from product providers catering to this demographic.”
According to the Hospitality Statistics Report by Simonis Storm for July, this is the highest figure recorded this year and the highest since October 2023, although still falling short of the 2019 levels which was over 60 000. The report said that of more than 49 000 passenger arrivals, 44% were international travellers, 45% regional visitors and the remaining 11% were domestic passengers.
“Notably, July 2024 marked the highest international arrivals of the year, while domestic arrivals were the second lowest on record for 2024.”
In contrast, the report said that passenger departures declined in July this year, primarily due to a decrease in international departures as visitors returned to their home countries.
It said that in addition, Air Botswana announced its expansion to new destinations within Namibia and South Africa.
“This strategic move aims to enhance flight connectivity across Southern Africa and beyond.”
The new routes will operate three times a week, with services beginning in October and November this year, respectively
Meanwhile, the national occupancy rate stood at 59.7% in July this year, a slight decrease from 60.8% in July 2023, and closely aligned with the 59.6% rate recorded in July 2019.
According to the report, the northern regions led with an occupancy rate of 62.8%, followed by the central areas at 60.8%, the coastal regions at 59.8%, and the southern regions at 56.5%.
“It is important to note that the central and coastal regions have consistently shown lower participation in the Hospitality Statistics Report. In July 2024, only three participants from the central areas contributed data, compared to 24 in July 2019,” the report pointed out.
It said that leisure tourism remains the primary driver of tourist inflows, accounting for 91.7% of visitors staying in hospitality establishments across Namibia.
The majority of these leisure tourists chose to explore the northern and southern regions.
In terms of accommodation, they predominantly selected bed and breakfasts, hotels, lodges, and tented camps.
Visitors staying at hospitality establishments for business purposes saw a significant increase, comprising 8.2% of visitors nationwide in July this year, up from 2.1% the previous month, indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels.
Business travellers primarily favoured establishments in the central areas, however, occupancy for conference purposes remained subdued, the report said.
It added that new vehicle sales by rental agencies saw an increase in July this year, rising to 141 units from 54 units the previous month.
“Despite this growth, the number of units sold was lower than the 159 units recorded in July 2023.”
The report said that as usual Europeans represented the largest share of visitors, accounting for 66.3%, followed by Namibians at 16.4%.
The proportion of Namibians declined from 22.55% in June 2024, likely due to the current period not being a holiday season in Namibia, which traditionally results in lower domestic travel during these months.
Tourists from South Africa comprised 6.3% of the total, while visitors from North America contributed 5.0%. Asian travellers accounted for 2.7%, and the rest of Africa provided 1.7%. Other regions of the world contributed smaller shares, with South America at 0.6%, the Middle East at 0.3%, and other areas at 0.8%.
It said that a standout observation is the record high of 11.6% for Benelux tourists (Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg), the highest in their data history spanning over five years.
According to the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), July and August are traditionally peak travel months for the EU.
“Although there was a slight decline in visitors from France—likely due to the Olympics and other events—the Benelux market has filled this gap. This trend reflects the strong market presence of Benelux tourists, bolstered by targeted efforts from product providers catering to this demographic.”
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