Namibia’s accommodations see higher occupancy rates

The Namibian tourism industry appears to have really fully recovered from the travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is indicated by the latest statistics from the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN). In a press release issued yesterday, the HAN noted steady growth compared to both 2025 and 2019.

Nationwide, the average room occupancy rate for the third quarter 2026 reached nearly 66.5 percent. This represented an increase of one percentage point over the rate in the same period in 2025, according to HAN. It was even two percentage points higher than the rate in the third quarter of 2019, the year before the pandemic.

July, August and September fall within the peak travel season, which typically lasts until mid-November. Consequently, these positive figures for this period suggest a promising outlook for growth for the entire year of 2026.

The decline in bookings, feared by many, following the introduction of an expanded 'Visa on Arrival' (VoA) system in April 2025, does not appear to have materialised. The visa fee is 1,600 Namibian dollars (just over 86 euros; amount according to the current exchange rate; 1 ZAR = 1 N$). Gondwana Collection Namibia offers further information and tips for applying for a 'Visa on Arrival'.

HAN statistics not representative

It should be noted that the statistics provided by HAN serve only as a rough guide. The figures for the third quarters of 2026, 2025 and 2019 are based on data from 122, 137 and 137 HAN members, respectively. Industry experts estimate that there are well over 2,000 accommodation establishments in Namibia in total.

The breakdown by region and accommodation category further illustrates that the comparisons are not based on data from the same set of establishments. Additionally, the total number of rooms (162,931 / 172,130 / 211,968) and beds (307,765 / 322,271 / 380,059) sold during the third quarters of these three years raises further questions.

HAN itself acknowledges that its figures do not provide a representative picture of the accommodation sector. According to HAN, accommodations in the higher price segment are disproportionately represented in the data used for its statistics.

Travellers arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) near Windhoek. – The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) reports an increase in room occupancy rates for the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 and the pre-pandemic year of 2019.  Photo & montage: Sven-Eric Stender.