Namibia projects tourism decline after wildfire in game reserve

 Namibia's tourism industry is expected to suffer over the next three years after a week-long wildfire ravaged over a third of its largest game reserve, Etosha National Park, a senior government official said.

Established as a national park in 1907 during German colonization, Etosha is home to diverse wildlife, including lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes, and zebras, and is one of the top tourist attractions in the southern African country.

Latest official estimates show the fire damaged 38% of the roughly 20,000 square-kilometer (7,722 square-mile) park, but unofficial assessments suggest the damage may be worse.

Satellite images showed vast swaths of blackened land and authorities said an unknown number of animals had been killed.

Overview of Namibia, where wildfires have scorched over a third of Etosha National Park. Photo: Reuters

"It's a hit we've taken in terms of damage to both fauna and flora. Recovery is possible, but it will take a little bit of time," said Sikongo Haihambo, executive director of Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.

"Insofar as tourism is concerned, I don't think that we are going to have an extended dip but rather a recovery in a period of two to three years," he said in an interview on Tuesday evening.

Namibia's tourism sector had only just recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with hotel occupancy reaching 67.55% in August - the highest since 2019, a recent report by financial services firm Simonis Storm Securities showed.

The tourism sector contributed 6.9% to Namibia's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022.

The fire inside the park was extinguished on Monday night after the government deployed hundreds of soldiers to fight the blaze, but crews continued to battle fires that had spread beyond it in the Omusati and Oshana regions.

Reuters