23 Oct 2025

Reviewing and harmonising all legal frameworks to create a conducive environment for the tourism sector to flourish has been identified as one of the priority areas of the National Development Plan 12 (NDP 12).

Presenting the tourism chapter in the draft NDP 12 to Parliament on Wednesday, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said as a multi-stakeholder industry, the tourism sector was essential for driving inclusive economic growth and employment creation.

“Tourism is one of the strategic sectors that government has earmarked and prioritised under the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP). Its full development is essential to our national ambition of transforming from an upper middle economy to a high income economy,” he said.

He noted that plans were underway to review and harmonise legislation such as the Tourism Act, Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) Act and Immigration Act to enable and enhance growth and diversity in the tourism industry. He further said a Tourism Equity Fund will be established to encourage citizen participation and enhance collaboration.

“To boost citizen participation, a Tourism Equity Fund will be established and partnerships with private financiers explored to improve access to capital for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). Additionally, we will consider the privatisation of wildlife resource management to enhance efficiency and revenue generation,” he said.

Mr Mmolotsi said since the development priorities of NDP 12 were premised on building a sector that was both diversified and inclusive, they were committed to repositioning Botswana as a destination of choice for tourists.

He said through various interventions, the government intended to increase average length of stay and average spend per day by tourists visiting the country.

Minister Mmolotsi said the development would be achieved through improved product packaging, digital booking systems and targeted marketing strategies which attract high value tourists.

He noted that tourism continued to increase its contribution to the GDP and job creation, currently employing over 50 000 people and a projected increase of 25 per cent by 2030.

Additionally, he said the Tourism Sector Real Value Added Growth Rate, premised on accommodation and food services, was anticipated to increase from 4.4 per cent in 2024 to 6.7 per cent by the end of the plan period in 2030.

He underscored the need for enhanced stakeholder collaborations, skills development, strategic investments and infrastructure development. Mr Mmolotsi said government was committed to improving key infrastructure in the tourism industry to align with regional standards.

“Government continues to invest in the state of the art infrastructure to enhance regional competitiveness. Key developments include the Kasane/Kazungula re-development project, refurbishment of the National Museum, Ntsweng Museum and upgrades to Kasane, Maun and Sir Seretse Khama International Airports,” he noted.

Mr Mmolotsi said the government had partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the biodiversity financing project to develop an online parks revenue system to streamline bookings and promote financial transparency.

He underscored the need to strengthen domestic supply chains to address revenue loss through importation of goods and services.  He cited restrictive immigration policies, inadequate infrastructure and poor communication connectivity as some of the challenges hindering the growth of the tourism sector. ENDS