At the NextGen Tourism Business Expo in Gaborone, the Botswana Tourism Organisation set a clear marker: tourism is central to the country’s economic diversification and sustainability agenda. Speaking to industry leaders, policymakers and innovators, Acting CEO Mr. Justice Ofentse framed recent performance as proof of resilience and sketched a pragmatic policy path to convert momentum into lasting gains.
Botswana’s recovery from the pandemic has been marked and measurable. International arrivals reached 1,183,432 in 2023, a level that industry sources and government briefings describe as a strong post-COVID rebound. Officials say 2025 is tracking to surpass pre-pandemic arrival levels, a signal that recovery has consolidated and that Botswana is drawing both traditional and new source markets.
Traditional long-haul markets are returning with strength. Ofentse highlighted that arrivals from the United States, Germany, France and Canada have now exceeded 2019 figures. At the same time, Botswana is actively courting emergent demand from India, China, Israel and the Gulf states — markets that travel trade research shows are increasingly interested in wildlife, luxury and experiential product in Africa. Regional travel has also played a key role: arrivals from African markets reportedly tripled between 2021 and 2023, underscoring the importance of intra-continental mobility to the country’s rebound.
The NextGen Expo provided the forum to translate these headline numbers into policy priorities. Ofentse outlined four practical levers: market and product diversification, visa reform, improved air connectivity, and bolder destination marketing. Each priority is presented as a straightforward remedy for structural constraints that have historically limited market access and length of stay.
Visa facilitation sits high on the list because easing entry is a direct enabler for long haul and emerging markets. Air connectivity is framed as complementary: route development and airline partnerships are necessary to turn interest into bookings and to make multi-destination itineraries commercially viable. Market and product diversification, meanwhile, means moving beyond a single narrative of wildlife safaris to present Botswana as a suite of experiences — cultural, community-led, conservation-anchored and event-driven. Finally, destination marketing must be sharper and more targeted to reposition Botswana in the minds of travellers and trade partners.
Ofentse distilled the country’s comparative advantage into a people-centred narrative: “the harmony of our land, people, culture, and values.” He added that Botswana should be viewed “not just a place to visit, but a place to connect, transform, and return to,” language that reframes tourism as relationship building rather than a one-off transaction.
The Expo also underscored a tactical shift toward business events and meetings as instruments of economic spread. Government and industry commentary at the forum suggested political support for using events to stimulate investment; increase shoulder-season demand and channel visitor spend into smaller centres and communities. For a country seeking to broaden the geographic and economic footprint of tourism, events present a practical mechanism for redistribution.
Practical implications for operators and investors are immediate. Improved air links and visa facilitation would reduce friction for source markets identified by Ofentse; strengthened marketing and product diversification create opportunity for local SMEs and experience-based operators to scale. For international tour operators, the combination of recovered long-haul source markets and burgeoning regional demand points to an expanding commercial window for multi-country East and Southern Africa itineraries that include Botswana as a core experience.
There are, however, verification points to watch. The 1,183,432 figure is the official tally for 2023; confirming year-to-date performance for 2024 and the full trajectory through 2025 will require the latest statistics releases. Likewise, a verbatim transcript of Ofentse’s address would be useful for exact quotation in policy or investor briefings.
What to watch next: concrete outcomes from the policy priorities set at NextGen. Specifically, look for visa-policy announcements, new airline partnerships or route commitments, targeted marketing spends into India, China and the Gulf, and a calendar of business events intended to draw international buyers. These measurable steps will show whether rhetoric is translating into structural change.
Botswana’s message at NextGen was deliberate and disciplined: the country is not merely recovering; it is repositioning tourism as a lever for sustainable, inclusive growth. For governments, investors and operators, the task now is to convert intent into infrastructure, connectivity and market access that deliver repeatable, long-term benefit.
