The Botswana government has announced that employees of tour operators in the country who are Botswana citizens will no longer have to pay park entry fees. 

This development was confirmed by Thato Raphaka, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation, and Tourism. The new regulation was effective from April, pending a gazette of the legislation.  

Raphaka made the announcement at the recent Hospitality Association of Botswana conference in Maun. 

Raphaka noted that the government was committed to prioritising tourism as a catalyst for investment in all sectors and was therefore taking steps to address existing challenges at both strategic and operational levels to enhance the performance of the tourism sector.