Travel industry concerned about room occupancy decline

Authentic and meaningful experiences, along with a touch of adventure, are in demand among travellers worldwide. Self-drive and outdoor vacations have seen a massive increase since the pandemic. Namibia offers all of this, which is why it's considered a trending destination for 2026. And yet, room occupancy in 2025 apparently declined compared to 2024. Why?

This question was the focus of debate among Namibian travel companies this week. The trigger was the accommodation statistics published by the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) on Monday.

According to these statistics, room occupancy in Namibia averaged just under 52 percent in 2025. This is 2.5 percentage points lower than in 2024 and 1.5 percentage points lower than in the pre-COVID year of 2019.

Based on data from only 157 accommodations, these figures can not serve as reliable evidence. The total number of registered hospitality businesses in Namibia is estimated at well over 2,000.

However, the figures still provide a useful benchmark. The accommodations in question are spread across various regions and categories such as guesthouses, hotels, lodges and campsites. Furthermore, several tour operators apparently saw their impressions confirmed.

Expensive flights and beds?

In the debate about the causes, possible factors such as limited flight capacity, high flight prices, and the new visa on arrival were mentioned. Some also pointed to increased prices for travel within Namibia and the system of block bookings.

The latter two factors, however, are not new. Tour operators have been complaining about annual price increases for accommodations for years. They warn that Namibia is becoming too expensive compared to similar destinations.

Accommodations, on the other hand, are having trouble with provisional bookings for scheduled group tours. Obviously, without block bookings these tours cannot be offered in the source markets.

However, often not all rooms are needed in the end, and some tours don't even take place. This frustrates accommodation providers who turn down bookings from third parties and end up with empty rooms.

These cases are particularly frequent during the peak travel months of July to November, especially applying to accommodations near major attractions such as Etosha and Sossusvlei. If those turned away cannot find an alternative, the entire Namibia trip is cancelled.

Some also cited the uncertain global political situation as a further factor contributing to the decline in occupancy rates. Long-haul destinations like Namibia were particularly affected. They claim that travellers worldwide are therefore hesitant to confirm bookings with advance payments.

The Namibian tourism industry is concerned about the decline in room occupancy in 2025: Namibian tourists arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA). Photo: Sven-Eric Stender