World Bank flags critical gaps in Botswana’s tourism sector
Larona Makhaiza | Thursday April 23, 2026 14:53
The findings were commissioned by the government through the World Bank.
Speaking at the opening of the 41st Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) conference, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi, said the findings revealed that Botswana remains heavily dependent on high-end wildlife tourism.
“The findings were sobering but necessary. The study confirmed that Botswana remains heavily dependent on high-end wildlife tourism. It showed that diversification has been slower than required. It warned that climate change poses a direct threat to the ecological foundations of our tourism product,” Mmolotsi said
The Minister said the World Bank had identified gaps where government continues to fall short in its efforts to diversify the sector.
“The report highlighted weak infrastructure, cumbersome land allocation processes, and lengthy environmental approval systems that discourage investment and delay project delivery,” he said.
Mmolotsi noted that the findings come at a time when the tourism sector is facing a changing market, compelling the country to adapt and remain competitive. He said this has forced Botswana to rethink its long-standing high-value, low-volume tourism model.
“For a long time, Botswana’s high-value, low-volume tourism model has served us well. It has protected our ecosystems and preserved the integrity of our tourism offering. But the world is changing, and so must we,” Mmolotsi said.
The Minister also revealed worrying trends in tourist behaviour, noting that the average length of stay among international visitors has been declining over the years from six nights in 2019 to four nights in 2025.
During the same period, he said tourist spending fluctuated, rising from P1,328 per night in 2022 to P1,718 in 2023, before dropping to P1,493 in 2024 and further to P1,183 in 2025.
“These figures tell us something important. Attracting visitors is not enough. We must also give them stronger reasons to stay longer, travel wider, and spend across a broader tourism value chain,” Mmolotsi said.
To address these gaps, Mmolotsi said Botswana must diversify its tourism product by building stronger inter-district tourism circuits and expanding into culture, heritage, conferencing, sport, and urban tourism.
He added that under the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), government aims to increase tourist arrivals to 2.7 million by 2033, extend the average stay to seven or eight nights, and make tourism the number one contributor to GDP by 2030.
“This is not merely a target on paper. It is a statement of intent,” Mmolotsi said.
The 41st HATAB conference is being held under the theme: “Redefining tourism strategies to reshape the Botswana tourism landscape.”