THE Erongo region, known for its pristine beaches, natural attractions, and vibrant coastal towns, has recorded a rebound in tourism in the past year - a welcome reprieve from the devastating effects of Covid-19 on the industry the previous two years.
To help the industry recover, the government has put together the Namibia Tourism Sector Recovery Plan (2022 - 2024). As a result, accommodation establishments in Erongo, especially in the coastal towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Henties Bay, attracted large numbers of local, regional and international visitors last year, according to Erongo governor Neville Andre, who is also the chairperson of the Erongo Regional Tourism Forum.
A report from the Hospitality Association of Namibia for last October states that a national occupancy rate of 54,6% was recorded during that month compared to 33,8% the previous year. The coastal towns, based on the statistics from the accommodation establishments and especially on the beds sold, had an occupancy rate of 59,4%, in the last quarter of 2022, compared to 50,0% in 2019.
"This can be attributed to the closer collaboration among the key stakeholders in the industry and the harmonisation of strategies as outlined in the recovery plan and other supporting documents. Undoubtedly, the sector's real value has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels yet, but it is showing positive growth. Hence, there is a dire need to continue improving the sector's performance," Andre said during a forum media briefing last Friday.
He said that tourism is a "lifeline industry" and the Erongo region is endowed with abundant natural tourist attractions.
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The industry understands that tourism is one of the sectors that has the capacity to improve and fast-track general economic development, and create employment opportunities. At the same time, it is contributing to poverty alleviation among vulnerable communities.
"However, the challenge remains that significant economic and tourist activities are mostly concentrated at Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Henties Bay. Therefore, there is a need to spread tourism and its economic benefits to the smaller towns and rural areas in the region," he noted.
Andre called on the tourism forum to find solutions to the challenges that are hampering the growth of the sector to reach its maximum capacity, and to ensure that the tourism industry benefits spread across the region and the country.
Erongo Regional Council chairperson Benitha Imbamba added that the rural constituencies and their settlements, which are not familiar to tourists, have the potential to become tourism attractions.
"We just have to work together and develop and market these places so that the visitors know about them," she said.
According to the United World Tourism Organisation, the international tourism industry continues to show strong signs of recovery, with international arrivals almost tripling in the January 2022 to July 2022 period, which is 172% growth compared to the same period in 2021. This implies that the global tourism industry has recovered to about 60% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the organisation's World Tourism Barometer.
