Botswana’s Vice President and Acting President, Slumber Tsogwane, officially opened the 7th Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF) at the Gaborone International Convention Centre. The forum, co-organized by the Botswana Tourism Organisation, Africa Tourism Partners, and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, runs under the theme “Charting a New Path Forward for Intra-Africa Travel, Tourism, and Investments,” and brought together key stakeholders from Africa’s travel, tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors.
In his remarks, Vice President Tsogwane underscored the importance of tourism as a key driver of economic diversification across Africa. He praised the unique role the ATLF plays in highlighting tourism’s potential as a major economic pillar, saying, “This is the only forum of its kind that highlights tourism as a major economic pillar to diversify African economies.” Tsogwane reaffirmed Botswana’s commitment to the forum, noting that the government had signed a Memorandum of Agreement to host the event for three consecutive years—2022, 2023, and 2024.
Reflecting on the previous edition, Tsogwane said, “In 2023, the 6th edition of the ATLF was attended by well over 500 participants; this was indeed a resounding success for our growing Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.” He commended the Botswana Tourism Organisation for spearheading an event that delivered significant benefits for the hospitality, retail, and transport sectors.
Tsogwane emphasized that this year’s forum would focus on sustainability, inclusivity, and empowerment as critical components of tourism’s future in Africa. He said, “The theme for this Forum is ‘Charting a new path forward for Intra-Africa Travel, Tourism and Investments.’ The three main thematic areas selected to address this theme include: sustainable and inclusive tourism, boosting intra-Africa travel, and driving economic growth focusing on empowering women, youth, and small businesses.” He stressed the importance of responsible growth, adding, “Sustainable and inclusive tourism – which speaks to balancing growth with environmental protection, cultural heritage, and community involvement – must be at the heart of our strategies.”
Tsogwane also highlighted the need to provide opportunities for marginalized groups, particularly women and youth, within the tourism industry. He called for their greater participation, stating, “Empowering women, youth, and small businesses to participate and thrive in the tourism industry is critical to achieving broad-based economic growth.”
In his address, the Vice President outlined Botswana’s strategic focus on establishing itself as a top-tier destination for major international events. “Botswana is on an overdrive mode to establish itself as a destination of choice for hosting MICE as a part of its intentional economic diversification drive,” he declared.
He also discussed Botswana’s National Tourism Strategy and Master Plan, which aims to expand tourism beyond traditional destinations by creating eight Tourism Development Areas. “The Master Plan is an important spatial planning framework for tourism development that delineates the country into eight Tourism Development Areas intended to spread tourism activities beyond traditional destinations,” he explained. Tsogwane further emphasized the importance of diversifying Botswana’s tourism offerings, stating that the country is working to “spur the promotion of adventure and cultural tourism to attract more arrivals locally, regionally and globally to complement our traditional wildlife tourism product offerings.”
Tsogwane took the opportunity to invite delegates to experience Botswana’s renowned tourist attractions, describing the country as “the most authentic and exciting wilderness in the world.” He encouraged attendees to venture beyond Gaborone and explore Botswana’s iconic destinations, including the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.
“I invite you to make time to visit Botswana’s beautiful attractions within the greater Gaborone area, further out to the Okavango… the mighty Chobe National Park… [and] the endless and flat wetlands of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans,” he said. He also urged participants to enjoy Botswana’s culinary delights, particularly its famed beef, saying, “Finally, I trust you will have a chance to taste our beef, which is compared to none in the world, experience our cultural diversity, and buy our crafts to take your Botswana memories back home.”
On a somber note, Tsogwane expressed condolences following the passing of Dumezweni Mthimkhulu, Botswana’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, who died just before the forum commenced. “His passing is a profound loss, not only to the people of Botswana but to the entire tourism fraternity,” he remarked, recognizing Mthimkhulu’s contributions to the country’s environmental and tourism initiatives.
In closing, Tsogwane called on stakeholders to adopt a private sector-driven approach to tourism growth, urging industry leaders to ensure that the forum results in actionable steps for the sector’s advancement. “I encourage you all as stakeholders and the tourism industry captains to ensure that this conference delivers catalytic growth that the tourism sector and indeed Africa’s economy needs,” he said. He expressed confidence that the forum would lead to a “demand-led, private sector-driven approach to tourism growth and employment” across Africa.
