WINDHOEK, Dec 4 (The African Portal) – Namibia’s tourism sector recorded its strongest rebound since the pandemic, with over a million tourist arrivals in 2024 – a 45.5% rise from the almost 900 000 visitors registered in 2023.
This is according to the newly launched Tourist Statistical Report 2024.
The figures reflect a return to 79% of the country’s pre-Covid-19 performance, signalling steady recovery and renewed confidence in Namibia as a global travel destination.
Launching the report in Windhoek, minister of environment and tourism Indileni Daniel said the surge in arrivals highlights the sector’s resilience and its ability to withstand external shocks.
“The year 2024 recorded 1 257 093 tourist arrivals, representing a 45.5% increase from 863 872 in 2023.
The 2024 figures indicate nearly 79% recovery compared to the pre-Covid-19 numbers of 2019, which stood at 1 595 973,” she said.
She said South Africa remained Namibia’s largest source market, accounting for 38.5% of all tourist arrivals in 2024, followed by Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Among overseas markets, Germany retained its long-standing position as the top contributor, representing 8.8% of total arrivals. The United States, United Kingdom, France and The Netherlands also featured strongly.
Holidaymakers continued to dominate travel patterns, with 47.5% of visitors citing holiday and leisure as their main reason for travel.
Business travel made up 15.8%, underscoring tourism’s role not only in leisure but also in regional commerce and investment.
“This figure, and similar statistics from previous years, show that visiting for holidays and leisure remains the most common purpose for coming to Namibia. Meanwhile, tourists who came to conduct business made up 15.8%,” she said.
The minister also announced that the ministry is finalising the National Tourism Spatial Development Master Plan, a framework aimed at guiding spatial planning, improving tourism infrastructure and positioning Namibia as a more competitive global destination.
She further urged industry players to strengthen their digital and online marketing efforts, grow domestic tourism and promote year-round travel to reduce seasonal fluctuations.
“This includes growing and promoting our domestic tourism market to provide a more stable, year-round stream of income for tourism businesses,” she said.
Credit: The Namibian
