Tourism Statistics

2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade with robust consumer
spending worldwide. This global growth transferred again into Travel & Tourism with the
sector’s direct growth of 4.6% outpacing the global economy for the seventh successive year.

A total of 1,499,442 tourists were recorded to have arrived in Namibia in 2017, reflecting an
increase of 2,1% from 2016 (Environmental investment fund of Namibia, 2017).

Namibia has enjoyed an increase of 4% from the German-speaking part of Europe,

with a total of over 27% of our visitors coming from that part of the world, while
France, Italy, the UK, Spain and Portugal and the United States all showed a slight
increase too, proving that the European market still holds great potential for Namibia
and remains the key source market for our industry.

Popular tourist mode of travel is

70.7% Road Users
27.2% Air users

Purpose of visit
44.7% - Visiting friends & relatives
38.7% - Holiday
13,7% - Business
2.9 & - other

Entry & Exit Points

32 points of entry
2 – sea ports
18 boarders
10 airpors
2 sea ports
2 islands on a quarterly basis

Largest number of tourist visitors in 2017 came from Angola (403 129), South Africa
(325 968) Zambia (195289) Germany (123022) and Zim (89241). North America
visitors increased by 11.1% and Europeans by 5.7%.

Air Namibia is bring majority of tourist. 27.2% of the tourists who visited Namibia
came by air which represents 400 000 tourists from the total 1,4 million tourists.

Windhoek
Windhoek, the capital and biggest city, is the main entrance point for people flying into the
country, usually at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, the main hub for Air Namibia.
Important tourist sites in Windhoek include: the Tintenpalast, (which is the seat of both
the National Council and the National Assembly), Windhoek Country Club Resort (opened in
1995 as host to the Miss Universe 1995 and is one of the premier hotels and golf tournaments in
the country), Zoo Parkand other places. Windhoek also has the first five star hotel in the country
known as Hilton Windhoek (opened in 2011 marking Hiltons 50th hotel in the Middle East and
Africa.)[1][5]
How important is connectivity?
Cell phones have become a necessity for many people throughout the world
(Kingston, 2018). The ability to keep in touch with family, business
associates, and access to email are only a few of the reasons for the
increasing importance of cell phones (Kingston, 2018)

Cell phones are the perfect way to stay connected with others and provide
the user with a sense of security (Kingston, 2018)

In the event of emergency, having a cell phone can allow help to reach you
quickly and could possibly save lives (Kingston, 2018). However, the
importance of cell phones goes way beyond personal safety. Modern cell
phones are capable of internet access, sending and receiving photos and
files, and some cell phones are equipped with GPS technology, allowing for
use in most locations around the world and allowing the cell phone to be
found or the user located in the event of loss or emergency (Kingston,
2018).

Psychological reason for the dependence on phones

New research shows that there’s a psychological reason for such extreme
phone dependence: According to the attachment theory perspective, for
some of us, our phone serves the same function as the teddy bear we
clung to in childhood.

Attachment theory proposes that our early life experiences with the major
figures responsible for our well-being, namely parents or other caregivers,
are at the root of our connections to the adults with whom we form
close relationships. Importantly, attachment in early life can extend to
inanimate objects. Teddy bears, for example, serve as what the attachment
theorist D.W. Winnicott calls “transitional objects.” The teddy bear, unlike
the parent, is always there. When children can’t be with their parents, they
can still be with their teddy bear. These stuffed animals also serve as a
transition between dependence and independence when young children
begin to develop a separate sense of self. We extend our dependence on
caregivers to these animals, and use them to help us move to greater
autonomy and an independent sense of self.

As suggested by Veronika Konok, of the Eotvos Lorand University in

Budapest, Hungary, a cell phone has the potential to be a “compensatory
attachment” object. Although phones are often castigated for their addictive
potential, Konok and her collaborators cite evidence that supports the idea
that “healthy, well-functioning adults also report significant emotional
attachment to special objects” (p. 538).
Indeed, cell phones have become a pervasive feature of our lives: The
number of cell phone subscriptions exceeds the total population of the
planet. The average amount of mobile or smartphone use in the U.S. is 3.3
hours per day; young adults (ages 18 to 24) report 5.2 hours on an average
day. People also like to be near their phones: A 2013 survey cited by the
Hungarian team reports that 79 percent of users keep their phones with
them for all but two of their waking hours. Nearly as many people report
being distressed when they’re separated from their phone.

As compensatory attachment figures—adult teddy bears—phones have

distinct advantages. They can be kept by your side and they provide a
social connection to the people you care about. Even if you’re not talking to
your friends, lover, or family, you can keep their photos close by, read their
messages, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat.
You can track them in real time but also look back on memorable moments
together. These channels help you “feel less alone” (p. 538). You can also
play interactive video games with friends and family, swap “pins,” and even
share fitness updates and progress on your weight goals. One important
distinction the Hungarian team made, taking this into account, is the
difference between using a cell phone as an actual phone and using it as
a smartphone. (Previous research on cell phone behavior, including use of
phones as attachment figures, only focused on their direct communications
functions.)

Traveling

Having a smartphone improves your experience while traveling

Many studies pointed out that smartphones play a significant role in shaping tourist experience
during a vacation ( Lalicic and Weismayer, 2016a;Tussyadiah and Wang, 2016). Most scholars
examined the positive impact of using mobile technologies and applications, such as: inspiration
and excitement (Lalicic and Weismayer, 2016a), usefulness of smartphone recommendations
(Tussyadiah and Wang, 2016) and being more informed and confident while traveling

International Cell phones that work in 190 countries

Environmental investment fund of Namibia (EIF). 2017. Namibia Tourist Statistical Report
2017. https://www.eif.org.na/post/tourist-statiscal-report-launch-held-at-the-ministers-board-
room (6 March 2019)
Matthys, D. 2018. Tourism industry performs well in 2017.
https://economist.com.na/32228/tourism/tourism-industry-performs-satisfactorily-in-
2017/ (6 March 2019)
Kingston, K. 2018. The importance of cell phones in modern society.
https://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/153893/cell_phones/the_importance_of_
cell_phones_in_modern_society.html (6 March 2019)
Whitbourne. 2016. This is why we cant put down our phones.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201609/is-why-we-cant-
put-down-our-phones
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293636599_Being_passionate_about_the_mo
bile_while_travelling Kosmic, J, Dorcic, J, and Suzana, M. 2018. Mobile technologies and
applications towards smart tourism.