Wedding season boosts hospitality occupancy in northern Namibia

Weddings and related activities boosted hospitality occupancy in northern Namibia during August.

This is according to an analysis of Simonis Storm securities researcher Almandro Jansen who says the sector experienced a decrease in the national occupancy rate from 68.9% in August 2023 to 63% in August this year.

The occupancy rate is the standard measure for activity in the hospitality sector.

“However, the northern region recorded its highest occupancy rate for the year at 70.42%, which is attributable to heightened wedding-related activities, including both hosting and attendance, typical for this period,” says Jansen.

However, in contrast, the southern and central regions saw declines, with occupancy rates dropping to 56.38% and 51.88%, respectively, the researcher says, adding that the coastal region also recorded a slight year-on-year decrease to 66.22%, yet it experienced a 6.4% month-on-month rise from July’s figure of 59.8%.

The researcher says leisure travel was the dominant segment in August 2024, accounting for 92.91% of total room occupancy while business travel recorded a year-on-year increase, contributing 6.48%. Conference-related stays rose to 0.61%.

“Despite these gains, business and conference travel continue playing a minor role compared to the substantial share of leisure travellers,” Jansen says, adding that local travel experienced a notable rise, with Namibian visitors accounting for 16.39% of total occupancy in August 2024, up from 14.91% in July 2024, while visitors from the rest of Africa recorded a year-on-year increase, with their share rising to 1.67% from 0.90% in the previous year.

European tourists remained the largest segment, increasing from 66.33% in July 2024 to 70.28% in August 2024, growth that may reflect potential seasonal fluctuations or evolving travel preferences compared to prior years.

Among the European countries, Austria, Germany and Switzerland were the top contributors, collectively representing 31.68% of all European visitors. Italy demonstrated significant growth, with its market share rising sharply from 4.48% in July to 12.91% in August. France ranked third, contributing 9.88% to the European segment, a rise from 6.33% year-on-year. Spanish and Portuguese arrivals also grew, from 3.35% in August 2023 to 3.73% in August 2024.

Namibia also attracted attention from emerging markets such as the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), while the Benelux region (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) posted impressive year-on-year growth, with their market share increasing from 0.07% to 6.20% in August 2024.

“These developments underscore the increasing significance of European tourism to Namibia’s hospitality industry,” says Jansen.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na