Security Concerns threaten Namibia’s Tourism Reputation

Namibia has long enjoyed international recognition as one of Africa’s safest and most peaceful countries, but that reputation is now under increasing pressure.


Spokesperson of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), Flora Quest, said that Namibia consistently ranked among the top three most peaceful nations on the continent and around 50th globally on the Global Peace Index. According to her, the country has built a reputation founded on political stability, peaceful democratic transitions and a culture of coexistence. For decades, this standing has been one of Namibia’s greatest competitive advantages, she said. Quest said that the recent travel advisories issued by Germany, Canada and other countries have raised red flags over crime in Namibia, particularly incidents affecting tourists. “Such advisories are not issued casually. They are based on reported crime data, incident patterns and assessments of risk to foreign nationals. Once published, they have an immediate ripple effect, influencing tour operators, insurers, airlines and individual travellers.”


She said that tourists do not scrutinise crime statistics in detail. “They respond to warnings.” According to Quest, advisories that mention armed robberies, muggings, vehicle break-ins and attacks in urban areas — especially in Windhoek and other tourist centres — directly shape travel decisions. “Even a limited number of high-profile incidents involving visitors can undo years of careful destination marketing and brand-building.” She said that tourism is not a peripheral sector in Namibia. “It is one of the pillars of the national economy, contributing billions of Namibian dollars annually and supporting tens of thousands of jobs.”


Steady flow of visitors - Quest added that airlines, lodges, guesthouses, car-hire companies, tour operators, restaurants, craft markets and communal conservancies all depend on a steady flow of visitors. In many rural areas, tourism is not just an industry but the primary source of income and opportunity, she said. According to her, Namibia’s tourism success has always rested on three foundations: exceptional natural beauty, political stability and safety. “While landscapes and wildlife attract attention, safety determines whether visitors actually arrive, stay longer, return or recommend the country to others. When safety is questioned, travellers rarely wait to see if conditions improve. They choose alternative destinations.”


Quest said that while Namibia remains peaceful at a national level, crime — particularly violent and organised crime — is increasing in ways that directly affect both residents and visitors. She said that armed robberies, smash-and-grab incidents, theft from vehicles and attacks on tourists are becoming more frequent and more coordinated. “Each incident feeds into international media coverage, insurance risk assessments and future travel advisories.” Quest further said that every crime against a tourist damages Namibia’s reputation far beyond the individual case. She said that it raises operating costs for tourism businesses, increases security expenditure and erodes international confidence. Once a country acquires a reputation for being unsafe, recovery is slow, difficult and expensive. “If current trends are not reversed, Namibia risks losing its position among Africa’s safest destinations. High rankings on global peace and safety indices are not permanent. Other countries on the continent have seen their reputations decline after ignoring early warning signs.”


Quest said that tourist safety must therefore be treated as a national priority. This requires visible and effective policing in tourist areas, stronger investigations, swift prosecution of offenders and zero tolerance for corruption within the justice system. It also demands community involvement, improved urban safety planning, better lighting and infrastructure, and serious attention to the social drivers of crime such as unemployment, substance abuse and inequality.