Namibia is wrapping up the second five-day training workshop to strengthen the capacity of key officials to develop the country’s National Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) and enhance the sector. The TSA was launched last year under the guidance of the Economic Commission for Africa, Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa (ECA-SRO-SA).

During the workshop, participants received feedback on tourism data surveys collected after Namibia’s traditional high season in October 2022.

Addressing participants in the opening session, Sebulon Chicalu, Director for Tourism and Gaming in the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), recognised the necessity of the TSA in producing reliable tourism statistics that highlight the total contribution of the sector to the economy. 

“There are a lot of leakages in the sector and we will be using the TSA as a tool to help with accounting for these and facilitating growth,” Chicalu said.

ECA SRO-SA’s remarks were delivered by Olayinka Bandele, Chief, Inclusive Industrialization, who outlined progress made from the previous engagements, including the project launch and orientation workshop in May 2022, and the first capacity building training in August 2022.

“We have learnt the importance of development of a comprehensive TSA for the country, especially as a holistic framework that measures the contribution of tourism to the country's economy. It provides detailed information on tourism consumption, tourism supply, tourism employment, and tourism investment, which enables policymakers to make informed decisions and allocate resources effectively,” Bandele said.

She further pointed out that TSA also enables the monitoring of tourism's contribution to sustainable development goals and provides a basis for benchmarking and international comparisons.

“Implementing the TSA offers numerous benefits for Namibia. It allows for a better understanding of tourism's direct and indirect impacts on the economy, facilitates the identification of growth opportunities and challenges, and supports evidence-based policy formulation and strategic planning,” Bandele added.

The workshop was attended by over 40 participants from key institutions including the government ministries, the national statistical office, the national bank, Namibia Tourism Board, the private sector, academia, and tourism sector professionals.