10/07/2026
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Botswana could be on the verge of a tourism breakthrough after the World Bank Group unveiled a comprehensive blueprint aimed at transforming the country into one of Africa's leading tourism destinations while accelerating investment, job creation and economic diversification.
The draft Botswana Tourism Destination Diagnostic identifies the Chobe-Okavango Delta Cluster, the Kalahari-Okavango Touring Route and Gaborone City Tourism as the country's three strategic growth hubs capable of driving the next phase of tourism expansion.
While recognising Botswana as a globally renowned wildlife destination, the report cautions that rising regional competition, infrastructure bottlenecks and regulatory constraints threaten future growth. It calls for stronger public-private partnerships, modernised tourism policies, improved infrastructure and more aggressive international destination marketing.
Among the key recommendations are safeguarding Botswana's premium safari brand in the Chobe-Okavango region, developing the Kalahari-Okavango Touring Route into a world-class self-drive tourism circuit and positioning Gaborone as a competitive hub for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE).
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has already submitted its input on the draft report, which will undergo nationwide stakeholder consultations before final validation. Once adopted, the strategy is expected to provide a long-term roadmap for unlocking new tourism investment, expanding visitor numbers and strengthening tourism as a pillar of Botswana's economy.
