National Tourism Investment Profile and Promotion Strategy

This Strategy is a sectoral framework aiming to (i) create a favourable and conducive regulatory environment for tourism investment to lower transaction costs to allow the private sector to invest and grow the tourism sector through a superior tourism superstructure; (ii) highlight the commitment to remove barriers to investment and provide attractive incentives, especially in priority areas. This is not a stand-alone document. It has been developed in conjunction with the National Sustainable Tourism Growth and Development Strategy and its implementation must also be in tandem with that Strategy. The tourism vision is to establish a dynamic and sustainable sector that generates employment, income, and broader socio-economic benefits for Namibians, while positioning the country as a leader in biodiversity conservation, environmental management, and innovative tourism development. Through strategic partnerships and the sustainable use of natural resources, tourism is expected to support rural development and contribute to long-term economic growth. This document outlines, from an investment perspective, key growth targets, priority investment themes, tourism entry-point projects and value chains, economic incentive measures, and funding requirements and approaches. Its overall goal is to maximise tourism’s contribution to national employment and income generation while ensuring a more equitable distribution of the sector’s social and economic benefits. The key objectives of the Strategy are to (i) strengthen Namibia’s presence in existing and emerging tourism markets, including niche markets; (ii) develop a more diversified, competitive, and accessible tourism product, including domestic and cultural tourism offerings; (iii) enhance institutional capacity for effective management and governance of the tourism sector; (iv) promote private-sector profitability and establish a favourable investment climate; (v) create sufficient employment opportunities within the tourism sector.
To achieve the investment Strategy’s growth targets, nine core Tourism Entry Point Projects, products, and value chains have been identified, namely wildlife tourism, trophy hunting tourism, coastal tourism, community-based tourism, cruise tourism, circuit and route development, luxury affordability, meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) tourism, and medical and retail tourism. The Strategy highlights the importance of tourism economic incentives to support sector development, promote economic and social equity, and empower communities. It proposes targeted incentive packages to support large and small tourism investments, as well as priority areas such as coastal tourism, aviation tourism, and joint-venture tourism in communal areas. To ensure effective implementation, action plans have been developed with the Directorate of Tourism and Gaming identified as the key coordinating institution, supported by appropriate reporting and stakeholder engagement mechanisms. The Strategy also establishes monitoring and evaluation frameworks with clear indicators to measure progress and enable adjustments. The estimated investment requirement for the priority areas is expected to be funded mainly through government contributions (60%), with the remainder sourced from the private sector and external donors.