28 Apr 2026

Government is betting on tourism diversification to drive inclusive growth and high-value investment, with a target of doubling the national economy by 2036. 

Addressing this year’s Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) conference recently, Minister  of Environment and Tourism, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi informed delegates of the need to build stronger inter-district tourism circuits to transform local tourism from isolated attractions into integrated and high-value experiences.

He stated that building stronger inter-district circuits was essential to meeting the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) goal of extending tourist stays to 7.9 nights and making tourism the top Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contributor by 2030.

Mr Mmolotsi noted that diversification was no longer optional given that creating connected travel routes increased visitor satisfaction and encouraged longer stays necessary to sustain the industry.

He also emphasised the need to shift attention to visitor behaviour, noting that the average length of stay among international tourists had been declining. 

He indicated that in 2019, visitors stayed an average of 6.3 nights, but by 2025, that number had fallen to 4.9 nights.

Regarding expenditure, he said the average tourist spent per day rose from P1 328 in 2022 to P1 718 in 2023, before fluctuating to P1 493 in 2024 and reaching P1 183 in 2025.

Minister Mmolotsi argued that such figures highlighted why building stronger circuits remained essential to give travellers reasons to stay longer, travel wider and spend across a broader tourism value chain.

He further emphasised the need to connect Maun to Francistown, Kasane to Gaborone and the Okavango Delta to the Tsodilo Hills, saying by linking wildlife offerings to culture, heritage, conferencing, sport and urban experiences, the sector can create a more holistic product.

“Our goal must be to build a Botswana in which the visitor who comes for the delta stays for culture, travels onward for business and returns again for events, heritage or leisure. 

That is the Botswana we must build and I urge you all to be part of this chapter that will shape the sector and economy of this country,” he said.

Minister Mmolotsi highlighted that such integration was why the BETP was critical to transforming the economy by 2036, saying the programme sought to double the size of the national economy, create more than 512 000 jobs, and attract P514 billion in cumulative investment. 

Within that national ambition, he said the BETP envisioned Botswana as Africa’s premier destination for authentic experiences, setting a target of 2.7 million tourist arrivals by 2033.

“These are not merely targets on paper, they speak to the kind of tourism economy we are determined to build, one that is more diverse, more inclusive, more geographically spread and more resilient,” the minister added.

He further stated that tourism was fundamentally about livelihoods and national pride and in the 2025/26 financial year, 223 new tourism enterprise licenses were issued, with citizens owning the majority. However, he pointed out that citizen presence in higher-value and capital-intensive segments such as concession-area lodges, remained limited.

“If tourism is to be truly inclusive, then citizens must have a stronger foothold not only in the number of businesses but also in the segments that attract the largest investment and generate the highest returns,” he said.

On one hand, he said through the National Tourism Strategy and Master Plan, government aimed to create 5 000 additional jobs by 2030.

“Behind each of those jobs is a household. Behind each of those jobs is dignity. 

That is why the diversification agenda matters so deeply,” he added.

Meanwhile, the conference was held under the theme: Re-defining Tourism Strategies to Reshape the Botswana Tourism Landscape, a theme the minister described as a call to action to collectively re-imagine the nation’s approach to growth. ends