Tourism in Botswana

A giraffe in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Botswana's principal tourist attractions are its game reserves, with hunting and photographic safaris available. Other attractions include the Okavango Delta region, which during the rainy season is a maze of waterways, islands, and lakes.^[1] The tourism industry also helped to diversify Botswana's economy from traditional sources such as diamonds and beef and created 23,000 jobs in 2005.^[2]

Visitor attractions

Hotels, lodges and camping sites

Botswana offers the traveller a choice of accommodation options from top class tourist hotels, luxury lodges and safari camps, to budget guesthouses and camping grounds. The major tourist areas have a choice of private lodges, safari camps, and public camping sites.

A variety of cuisines are served in hotels and restaurants from local favourites and game meat, to continental and Asian dishes. There are also plenty of fast food outlets and small restaurants/takeaways offering local dishes. For the full collection of accommodation sources, you can browse at Tourism in Botswana - Africa Tourism Web Portal.

National parks

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an extensive national park in the Kalahari desert of Botswana. Established in 1961 it covers an area of 52,800 km², making it the second largest game reserve in the world.^[3] The park contains wildlife such as giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu and red hartebeest.

Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park, in northwest Botswana, has one of the largest games concentration in Africa continent. By size, this is the third largest park of the country, after the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Gemsbok National Park, and is the most diverse. This is also the country's first national park.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a large wildlife preserve and conservation area in southern Africa. The park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and comprises two adjoining national parks: Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The total area of the park is 38000 km² (14,668 mi²). Approximately three-quarters of the park lies in Botswana and one-quarter in South Africa.

Tourist information

The Botswana government's National Conservation Strategy and Tourism Policy was created to promote tourism while protecting wildlife areas. Citizens of the United States, South Africa, British Commonwealth countries, and most Western European countries do not need visas for stays of less than 91 days. Passports are required for travel in the country. Proof of yellow fever and cholera immunizations are required of tourists from infected areas.^[1]

The World Economic Forum report on Travel and Tourism Global Competitiveness ranked Botswana 87 out of 130 countries in its 2008 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index. The same report praised Botswana's attractions, and the low rating was due to challenges confronting tourists, including lack of access to modern technologies, poor roads and communications.^[2]

Statistics

In 1999, there were 2,100 hotel rooms with 3,720 beds and a 53% occupancy rate. 843,314 visitors arrived in Botswana that year with more than 720,000 from other African countries. Tourism revenues in the year 2000 totaled $313 million. In 2003, the US Department of State estimated the average daily cost of staying in Gaborone to be $129, compared to Kasane at $125. Costs may be as low as $50 in other regions of the country.^[1] Botswana is considered the safest country to visit in Africa.^[4]

Most visitors arriving to Botswana who stated holiday as their purpose of entry in 2014 came from the following countries of nationality:^[5]

Rank	Country	Number
1	South Africa	68,519
2	United States	38,522
3	Germany	26,151
4	United Kingdom	20,601
5	Zimbabwe	18,285
6	Australia	13,822
7	Netherlands	8,909
8	Japan	8,857
9	France	7,992
10	Canada	7,255
	Total arrivals for holiday	274,701

Most foreign nationals arriving to Botswana in 2014 for any purpose (holiday, business, returning residents, students, workers and visitors in transit) came from the following countries of nationality:^[6]

Rank	Country	Number
1	Zimbabwe	784,720
2	South Africa	600,387
3	Zambia	188,351
4	Namibia	162,453
5	United States	49,961
6	United Kingdom	39,675
7	Germany	34,576
8	India	18,342
9	Australia	17,657
10	Malawi	15,175
	Total in transit	591,545
	Total returning residents	116,998
	Total arrivals for holiday	274,701
	Total arrivals for business	599,782
	Total visiting friends and relatives	417,034
	Total arrivals	2,082,521

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Botswana.

• Tourism of Botswana - home page
• Africa Tourism Web Portal - Botswana

Economy of Botswana
Currency: Botswana pula
Communications	Banking Communications History of Trade Transportation
Industries:	Agriculture Mining Tourism