A drop in the number of German tourist arrivals to Namibia in 2025 could be linked to a new visa policy introduced last April, which ended visa-free travel for European countries.
Hospitality Association of Namibia chief executive Gitta Paetzold told The Namibian yesterday that visa policies, among other issues, could be making the country a less competitive tourism destination.
This comes as a new report released by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism yesterday shows fewer German tourists visited Namibia in 2025 compared to the previous year, amid a general decline in the number of European visitors to the country.
“The ministry’s report sends out a very worrying message to airlines who have just announced increased frequencies to Namibia and I’m sure they would have done their homework in terms of demand before committing,” Paetzold said.
However, she said the hospitality industry did not see a similar decline in visitors.
There has been a gradual increase in the number of European visitors to Namibia every year since 2021, as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of European tourists peaked in 2024 at 266 000. In 2025, the number decreased to 210 000, coinciding with the change in visa policies.
“Tourism accommodations have not seen such declines in our source markets. If the decline is real, we will have to address it urgently through policy interventions,” Paetzold said.
The ministry’s report says international visitors to Namibia dropped by 6.5% compared to 2024, while arrivals of tourists dropped by 3.2%.
“While this marginal decrease may be viewed as statistically minor, we must treat it as a wake-up call and a clear signal to all of us to renew our focus and improve our competitiveness as a country to ensure that our value proposition continue to resonate with international travellers,” tourism minister Indileni Daniel said yesterday.
Most tourists to Namibia, nearly 75%, come from neighbouring countries, including South Africa, Angola, and Botswana.
German tourists make up the largest percentage of tourists from non-African countries. According to the report, the number of German tourists dropped by 27.4% in 2025. The number of tourists from Europe also dropped by 21%.
“It is of great concern to note that this decline [in tourists] is experienced in most of our key source markets such as Germany, South Africa and France, just to mention a few,” Daniel said.
She said safety concerns published in international media, as well as incidents of crimes committed against tourists contributed to the decline.
