Erongo tourism shows promising growth

The Erongo Region’s tourism sector is showing promising growth, as announced during the Erongo Regional Tourism Forum on Wednesday in Swakopmund.Forum member Annet Kotting explained that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were still evident in 2022, prompting the creation of the Namibia Tourism Sector Recovery Plan (2022–2024) to aid the sector’s recovery.“We can all testify from observations at local accommodation establishments that the Erongo Region, and it&#039;s towns such as Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Henties Bay, have recorded a 60% increase in room occupancy rates in the first quarter of the year. This is an indication that the Erongo Region has outperformed all other regions in terms of tourist arrivals from both regional and international visitors.”She said a Hospitality Association of Namibia report has shown a national occupancy rate of 55% was recorded during 2023 compared to 33.8% in 2022.Moreover, the tourism ministry’s reports indicate an 87.4% increase in tourism arrivals from 2022 to 2023.“This figure indicates that the tourism sector in the country is recovering well after the devastating impact of Covid-19,” she said.In addition, the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) recorded an increase of 381 new tourism businesses between 2022 and this year.“Hence, we are optimistic that tourism in the region and across the country will continue to grow," Kotting said.Cruising to NamibiaKotting said it is pleasing to see an increase in cruise liners visiting Namibia. “About 28 938 tourists have arrived through the port of Walvis Bay. The port is expected to receive an additional 65 cruise liners during the period from 7 November to January 2027 that have been pre-booked, with more still expected to come to Namibia," she said, adding that visa-on-arrival services were implemented in April. Furthermore, Walvis Bay International Airport saw a total of 79 763 passengers either departing from or arriving in the region in 2023.“This represents a notable increase in tourist traffic, with a rise from 2.2% to 8.9% in passenger statistics compared to pre-Covid levels, indicating a recovery rate of 62% in passenger numbers.”Additionally, the airport successfully accommodated an Airbus A340 in May.Moreover, Airlink has responded to growing demand by adding an extra flight to Cape Town, bringing the total to two flights per day.“Additionally, Airlink continues to offer one daily flight to Johannesburg, enhancing connectivity to the region and improving travel options for passengers.”Addressing challengesKotting also highlighted that despite its successes, Erongo’s tourism sector faces several challenges, including immigration officers experiencing difficulties managing large numbers of passengers when multiple cruise liners arrive or depart on the same day, highlighting the need for additional staff.“The region also lacks a convention or conference centre capable of hosting larger events. Additionally, there are road safety concerns, as self-drive tourists often fail to comply with road signage, leading to accidents.”In order to address these challenges, the tourism forum, in collaboration with the NTB and other stakeholders, is planning to conduct educational tourism awareness and customer service training.

Erongo tourism shows promising growth

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-14

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Erongo tourism shows promising growth

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-14

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