The CEO of the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), Keitumestse Setlang, has reaffirmed Botswana’s commitment to sustainability-led tourism growth and announced progress on the country’s updated tourism regulations during an interview on the VA Tourism Podcast at the 2025 AirlinePros Global Conference in Cape Town.
Keitumestse, who joined host Kojo Bentum-Williams for a wide-ranging discussion, said Botswana’s new Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) policy had been approved by Parliament and would soon take effect once the accompanying regulations are finalised. She stressed that the updated framework is designed to “meet the immediacy of time” and ensure that citizens benefit more directly from natural resources.
“It is a government position to ensure that we extract value from our resources,” she said. “And it is also a government position to ensure that as we extract this value… animals are protectedand we use tourism activity to plant back into preservation of the heritage resource and conservation of the natural resource.”
In Cape Town, Botswana drew attention with a video message from President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, reinforcing the country’s sustainability agenda. Keitumestse said the intervention sent a strong signal to global partners, particularly destination management companies (DMCs) in attendance.
“The message on sustainability… brought to this conference through a video with the head of state… was a show of commitment by the Botswana government,” she explained. “What they particularly like about our story in Botswana is that to us, sustainability is keeping a balance between the ecosystem, the environment and the people.”
She added that the consistency of Botswana’s sustainability message — reiterated by successive presidents — reflects its central place in national policy.
Keitumestse Setlang,CEO of Botwana Tourism Organization
CBNRM Policy Update: ‘There Is No Vacuum’
Keitumestse confirmed that the revised CBNRM policy is ready, approved and awaiting activation through new regulations. Until the new framework is operational, the existing policy remains in use.
“Parliament approved that this new CBNRM policy should be put into use. It has been approved,” she affirmed. “Regulations have been drafted now… there is no vacuum. We are still using the old one until the new one comes into force.”
The Minister of Environment and Tourism, she said, has been engaging communities nationwide to help them appreciate their role in conservation. According to her, understanding value motivates greater local involvement.
“When people see the role they have to play or appreciate that they draw value, they then play a bigger role,” she noted.
Big agenda for MICE, sports & aviation
Botswana is preparing to host AviaDev Africa — the continent’s leading route development forum — from 10–12 June 2026. Keitumestse described the event as a major milestone in the country’s growing MICE ambitions.
“Botswana is fast growing as a MICE destination,” she said. “We’ve got the space, we’ve got the infrastructure, we’ve got the people, we’ve got the services to host the world.”
She confirmed that BTO is already implementing the national MICE strategy with renewed energy, adding new convention facilities and upgrading existing ones to meet global standards.
Beyond Botswana’s traditional strongholds — the Okavango Delta, Chobe River, Makgadikgadi pans and Kgalagadi landscapes — Keitumestse said the country is increasingly promoting lifestyle tourism and the creative arts.
“We also have… cities lending themselves very well for lifestyle-based tourism,” she said. “The creative arts in terms of dance, music, food, in terms of dress… are coming in fast and very quickly as part of the tourism offering.”
Keitumestse credited Botswana’s sports stars, including world athletics sensation Letsile Tebogo, for elevating the country’s global visibility. Botswana Tourism works closely with the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) to ensure athletes can help showcase the nation.
“These are brands,” she said. “Where we can, we provide details they require to be able to speak about their destination out there.”
Sports events such as the Makgadikgadi Epic, the Kalahari Challenge and the returning Desert Race remain powerful drawcards, she added.
Air connectivity remains central to Botswana’s growth agenda. Keitumestse, who is part of the national air access team, highlighted recent gains.
“We recently received South African Airways, which flies from Gaborone to Johannesburg and back,” she said. “South African Airlink has increased its frequency. Ethiopian Airlines have done that also for the routes in Maun. We also have FlyNamibia… we have ProFlight. We need more direct flights into Botswana.”
BTO is targeting a 10% increase in arrivals for 2026, building on the current record of 1.8 million visitors.
“We want to start with a minimum 10 percent, but we want to grow as far as possible,” she said. “We have a task to double our numbers by the fifth year from now.”
For Keitumestse, there is so much the world must travel to Botswana to experience.
“We remain ready to roll the red carpet out for you,” she said. “To you tourists, we still have rooms to fill and we are ready to host you in Botswana… Botswana is safe. You are invited to visit.”
