Travel and Tourism drops 12 index positions – World Economic Forum

Despite Namibia being the 4th most Travel & Tourism competitive nation in Sub-Sahara Africa, it dropped 12 positions, now ranked at number 82 globally, in the World Economic Forum’s latest tourism index.

Namibia lost 12 positions this year resulting partially from statistical adjustments such as the inclusion of previously unavailable deforestation figures, which have significantly reduced the sustainability performance for the tourism and logistics sector.
The travel and tourism industry GDP contribution is estimated at 3% or US$373.9 million, creating 28,792 jobs. Average receipts per tourist are estimated at US$272.

Natural resources and the business environment, air transportation and price competitiveness, have sustained Namibia’s overall competitiveness as the country slowly continues to increase international arrivals.

Nonetheless, despite these incremental adjustments in its competitiveness rankings which make comparison to other countries more challenging, the index indicates Namibia has lost a considerable portion of its forests since the early 2000s and its water resources have deteriorated.

Similarly, the re-assessment of car rental services and the diffusion of ATMs have resulted in a lower ranking of Namibia’s tourism service infrastructure.

“Beyond these changes, Namibia still needs to improve its health and hygiene and under-appreciated cultural resources, and renew focus on its inadequately qualified human resources , which remain the main bottlenecks toward a faster development of the travel and tourism sector in the country” the report advised.

In 2016, Namibia welcomed close on 1.4 million tourists.