Statement by Environment and Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel at the Launch of Tourist Statistical Report 2024

Windhoek, 3 December 2025

Good morning.It is with immense pride and a deep sense of gratitude that I stand before you today to launch our much-anticipated Tourist Statistical Report for the year 2024. This report highlights international tourist arrivals to Namibia, focusing on key variables such as source markets, tourists’ age and gender profiles, their purpose of visit and length of stay, among other indicators. These statistics are essential in the planning process of our sector and play a key role in evaluating our collective interventions and programmes geared towards growing and improving the sector.The year 2024 recorded 1 257 093 tourist arrivals, representing a 45.5%  increase from 863 872 tourist arrivals in 2023. The 2024 arrival numbers indicate nearly 79% of full recovery to the pre-Covid-19 figures of 2019, which stood at 1 595 973. This increase is a powerful indicator of the sector’s resilience and demonstrates our industry’s exceptional strength in overcoming unanticipated external shocks.Regarding key source markets, the main source of tourist arrivals in 2024 remains our neighbour South Africa, constituting 38.5% of overall tourist arrivals. Other neighbouring countries such as Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe also formed part of the top African source markets. Among overseas markets, Germany retained its dominance with arrivals representing 8.8% of the total. The United States of America, United Kingdom, France and The Netherlands similarly formed part of the biggest sources of tourists to Namibia.In terms of the purpose of visit, 47.5% of tourists visited Namibia for holiday and leisure. This figure, similar to previous years, shows that holiday and leisure remains the most common purpose for visiting Namibia. Tourists who travelled for business made up 15.8%.While the 2024 report gives us much to celebrate, it is important to note that the success of our tourism industry is not measured solely by tourist arrivals but also by our collective efforts and commitment to sustainable tourism development practices. In this regard, the ministry is finalising the National Tourism Spatial Development Master Plan to steer Namibia’s tourism sector toward a sustainable, inclusive and globally competitive future. The master plan provides a framework to guide the spatial development and improvement of tourism, making Namibia a more competitive destination.As an industry, let us remain resolute in ensuring that Namibia remains a treasured destination. We must continue to leverage digital and online marketing to reach new markets and promote year-round travel to reduce seasonal fluctuations. This includes growing and promoting domestic tourism to provide a more stable, year-round stream of income for tourism businesses.To conclude, I would like to extend my appreciation to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, the custodian of arrival and departure forms from which these statistics are derived. I also express my gratitude to the Namibia Tourism Board for continuing to market Namibia as a destination of choice.Finally, thank you to all stakeholders who contributed to the success of our tourism industry in 2024. The phenomenal growth we recognise today is the result of your passion, hard work and determination.It is now my honour to launch the Tourist Statistical Report 2024.

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