A local tour business operator is encouraging young people to be innovative and seek business opportunities within the tourism sector.

The founder of James Tours and Safari, James David, acknowledged the challenges facing local businesses in the tourism industry, such as the dominance of global companies with more capital, creating an imbalance.

But James David says this should not be seen as a setback for people who want to join the industry, as it has a lot to offer.

Tourist arrivals in Namibia have made a remarkable recovery of 28.9% following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Statistics released by the Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, indicate that the tourism period spanning from 2021 to 2022 has witnessed a substantial surge in international and inbound tourist arrivals, registering a remarkable increase of 98.1% compared to the pandemic-affected period of 2020 to 2021.

In 2021, the number of arrivals amounted to 232,757.