According to Namibia's 2016 Tourist Statistics Report (launched on December 14), the country recorded over 1.57 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2016, an increase of 3.6% from 1.51 million the year before.
The countries with the highest percentage of tourist arrivals (from most to least) were: Angola, South Africa, Zambia, Germany, United Kingdom, United States and France. The German market grew by 35% over the period.
Speaking at the launch, Environment and Tourism Minister, Pohamba Shifeta, said the government, in partnership with the Namibian tourist industry, should capitalise on the increase in international airlines flying to the country by investing in the infrastructure needed to meet the demand. "We are nowhere near the ceiling of what we can achieve in tourism, and we are nowhere near the limits of what tourism can achieve for our country.”
He said, for the country to see continued growth, the industry would need to address bed shortages in Windhoek. "We aren’t able to have big events. We don't have conference venues to host big events. We also can't accommodate people in the city. We go as far as accommodating them in Rehoboth, or elsewhere. This is an area that we can improve in order to ensure the industry continues to flourish.”
Shifeta said, although Angola topped the list of Namibia’s tourist arrivals, the country's buying power had diminished since the collapse of the oil price – which plummeted from over $100 a barrel in mid-2014 to a low of about $27 in January 2016. “Prior to this slump, many wealthy Angolans bought properties in Namibia, where they could access quality medical services, schools and infrastructure often lacking in their home market. After the collapse of the oil price, Angolans continued to visit Namibia because of the countries’ proximity, however, they were not spending or sleeping over as they used to.”
However, he concluded that the results of the report instilled confidence in the government. “These figures indicate that we are making progress in our efforts to grow and develop the tourism industry as a global sector.”
