Namibia recorded a 98,1% increase in inbound tourist arrivals last year, according to the 2022 Tourism Arrival Statistical Report released last week.

Tourist arrivals grew from 232 756 in 2021 to 461 027 in 2022. This is, however, far from the 1 681 336 foreign visitors achieved in 2019 (pre-pandemic).

“With the sector’s recovery gaining momentum, the ministry encourages destination managers, tour operators, and all relevant stakeholders to develop new products, routes, and additional destinations. This will enhance the visitor experience and make ‘Destination Namibia’ more appealing to repeat visitors,” said the Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta.

The country’s top-ten tourist source markets in 2022 were South Africa, Angola, Germany, Zambia, Botswana, France, the UK, US, Italy, and Switzerland.

“Travel season data revealed that 53,1% of tourists travelled between September and December, 36,1% between May and August, and 10,8% between January and April,” said the report.

Shifeta added that the country’s tourism sector had the potential to benefit from opportunities within the domestic and inter-regional markets. Therefore, it’s crucial to increase the country’s marketing efforts to boost demand for travel among locals and regional markets, aiming for robust and sustainable tourism.

The ministry was currently implementing the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, which outlined a framework for policy interventions and strategic programmes to support each stage of the recovery phase, concluded Shifeta.