The year economy fought back

Tourism
Not being a physical commodity, estimates of the tourism sector's economic contribution are still in their infancy, having been launched via the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) in 2007. TSAs since then indicate that Botswana's travel and tourism industry brushed aside the effects of the 2009 recession, growing in both the number of visitors, average spending trends, employment created and economic impact.

The sector's invulnerability stems from the reliance on forward bookings by international clients, some of whom plan and pay for their trips as much as a year in advance. Thus, while sectors such as mining and manufacturing suffered market collapse, the tourism and travel sector had secured its 2009 market during 2008. Experts explain that while the recession affected domestic tourism, the lion's share of revenues in tourism and travel are international, comprising hunting, safari and other forms of tourism.