Botswana’s Travel & Tourism economy grew 3.4% to exceed $2.5 billion in 2018, and now contributes nearly one in every seven dollars in the country’s economy, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector released today.
The WTTC research which compares the Travel & Tourism sector across 185 countries, shows that in 2018 the Botswana Travel & Tourism sector:
• Grew at 3.4%, just nudging above the Sub-Saharan African average of 3.3%
• Contributed US$2.52 billion to the country’s economy. This represents 13.4% of all economic impact in Botswana – or nearly one in every seven dollars in the economy
• Supported 84,000 jobs, or 8.9% of total employment
• Was primarily driven by leisure travellers: 96% of the Travel & Tourism spending in the economy was generated by leisure visitors and just 4% from business travelers
• Is strongly weighted towards international travel: 73% of spending came from international travelers and 27% from domestic travel
Commenting on the numbers, Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said: “Botswana is a jewel in the crown of Sub-Saharan Africa’s Travel & Tourism sector. It is home to some of the most iconic tourism sites in Africa, such as the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
“I am delighted to see that Botswana recorded another year of growth ahead of the regional average, reflecting the excellent work of WTTC Member, Myra T. Sekgororoane, CEO of Botswana Tourism Organisation, WTTC’s first African Destination Partner.
“The county has long grasped the potential of Travel & Tourism to drive economic growth, create jobs and promote social development.”