Botswana could capture significantly more economic value from international travellers passing through the country by diversifying tourism products, easing restrictions on activities and improving connectivity between major attractions, according to the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB).
HATAB Policy and Advocacy Manager Dichaba Molobe said Botswana needed to focus on encouraging transit travellers to extend their stays rather than simply passing through the country on their way to other destinations.
His comments come amid data showing that transit travellers make up a significant share of Botswana’s international visitor arrivals, falling in second place after Holiday or Leisure Tourists.
Statistics Botswana data indicates that in the second quarter of 2024, in-transit visitors accounted for 21.8 percent of all international arrivals. By the fourth quarter, they still represented 18.7 percent of arrivals.
Molobe said increasing the length of stay would require Botswana to develop a broader range of activities and promote attractions beyond the country’s established tourism centres.
“To increase the length of stay of tourists, there is a need to build a new menu of activities for them to experience,” he said.
He identified the Tuli Block, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) among the attractions that could be promoted more aggressively to travellers.
Molobe also pointed to restrictions on certain tourism activities as a factor that could be limiting the country’s ability to attract and retain visitors.
“Restrictions on tourism activities such as fishing, picnic and night game drives have a negative bearing on tourism growth,” he said, arguing that the restrictions should be relaxed.
According to Molobe, Botswana also needs to give travellers stronger reasons to spend at least one night in the country.
He said authentic cultural experiences could play an important role, provided they remained consistent with the country’s tourism identity.
“The key thing is to introduce unique and authentic cultural events bearing in mind that tourists predominantly visit Botswana for its tranquillity,” he said.
Infrastructure and connectivity are also critical to unlocking greater tourism flows, particularly between Botswana’s major attractions.
Molobe highlighted the limited direct air connectivity between the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Okavango Delta, attributing the problem partly to the lack of a functional airstrip.
“Direct air connectivity between the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Okavango Delta is sparse due to the lack of a functional airstrip,” he said.
He said support was needed to develop an airstrip that would improve movement between the two tourism centres.
The issue is significant because Botswana’s tourism circuit is geographically spread out, meaning that improved connections could make it easier for visitors to combine destinations within a single trip. The scale of transit traffic suggests a potentially substantial market for businesses located along Botswana’s major travel corridors.
Land border posts account for a significant proportion of international movements. Ramokgwebana Border Post accounted for 15.7 percent of total arrivals in the fourth quarter of 2024, while Kazungula Bridge recorded 12.4 percent of arrivals in the second quarter.
Overall arrivals reached 421,744 in the third quarter, illustrating the scale of movement through Botswana.
However, transit travellers generally spend less time and money in the country than holiday and leisure visitors, who are more likely to stay several nights at lodges and other tourism establishments.
Molobe said longer stays would ultimately depend on diversification of tourism products alongside modern infrastructure.
“Longer stays come from diversification of the tourism products and modern infrastructure,” he said. “With that in place, longer stays will then provide better support for local businesses and communities.”
The comments point to an opportunity for Botswana to transform transit routes and border areas from primarily points of passage into gateways for local economic activity.
For small businesses, cultural operators, accommodation providers and tourism entrepreneurs, persuading even a fraction of transit travellers to stop, eat, shop or stay overnight could create additional revenue streams and spread the benefits of tourism beyond traditional destinations.
With transit visitors continuing to constitute a sizeable share of international arrivals, the challenge for Botswana is increasingly not simply attracting people into the country, but giving those already passing through a compelling reason to stay.
