Hospitality industry showsdecline in room occupancy rates

A recent report by the Namibia Statistics Agency shows that on a monthly basis, the uptake of rooms in the hospitality industry has decreased.

The Index for Rooms’ Occupancy Rate report shows a 20,6% decline in December 2023, compared to the previous month’s decrease of 24%.

“The decrease observed on a monthly basis was reflected in hospitality establishments across all regions,” states the report.

The northern regions experienced the highest decline of 31,6% followed by the central region (-15,8%) and the southern region (-8.8%). The coastal region also saw a decline of 8,1% during the period under review.

According to the report, out of the 52 990 rooms available nationally in December 2023, 20 969 rooms were sold. The northern region had 23 250 available rooms in December 2023, with 8 440 rooms sold. In the southern region, 19 023 rooms were available, resulting in a surplus of 11 684 rooms.

According to the report, while hotels and tented camps experienced a decline in room occupancy, guest houses, tented lodges, and rest camps showed increases. Moreover, out of 108 825 beds, only 40 821 were sold in December.

This represents a significant decrease compared to the previous month. The report signals challenges for the hospitality industry.