WINDHOEK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Namibia intends to expand its reach in new international tourism markets to promote the southern African country more broadly as a preferred global tourist destination, an official announced Tuesday.
Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Indileni Daniel highlighted this during her presentation of the 2025/2026 budget motivation to the cabinet.
"The Namibia Tourism Board plans to explore new markets such as Asia, the Middle East, and North America to market Namibia as a preferred tourist destination," said Daniel.
According to the minister, the push into new markets comes as Namibia's tourism sector continues its recovery following the impacts of the global pandemic.
According to the latest Tourist Statistical Report for 2023, tourist arrivals significantly rebounded to 863,872, a substantial increase from the 169,565 recorded during the pandemic period. This recovery is attributed partly to the implementation of Namibia's Tourism Sector Recovery Plan 2022-2024, said Daniel.
Meanwhile, the government, through a program focused on creating an enabling environment for the sustained growth of the tourism and gaming industries, is also undertaking several key initiatives, she added.
These include formulating the National Spatial Tourism Development Master Plan, reviewing the National Tourism Policy, and developing a new Tourism Act, which are designed to foster a conducive environment to attract new investments, encourage product diversification, and ensure sustainability within the sector, she said.
