The Namibian government’s rapid-fire decision to revoke visa-free entry for 31 countries risks undoing the progress made in the country’s tourism recovery, with the impacts expected to be most deeply felt in the price-sensitive European markets which keep the sector afloat.
On May 24, The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS) announced that Namibia’s Cabinet had authorised the removal of the countries – including the majority of Namibia’s top overseas tourism source markets – from the visa-exempt list, citing a lack of reciprocity. Although the implementation date has not been set, nationals from the affected countries will be issued visas on arrival, subject to an applicable fee and an online visa application, according to the MHAISS’s statement.
Gitta Paetzold, CEO of the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), told Tourism Update that the decision flies in the face of significant strides made by the private sector and government to…
