International tourist arrivals to Botswana grew by seven percent in 2017, totalling 132 million, according to Botswana’s Tourism Satellite Account.
The country was recently dubbed one of the leading tourism destinations in the world by United Nations World Tourism Organisation Secretary General, Dr Talib Rifai, during a public lecture in Gaborone at the end of 2017.
Recent growth
The country has been experiencing steady growth as a tourism destination, with a substantial increase year-on-year, with future projections expected to continue in this upward trend, according to Mariki van Tonder, Sanctuary Retreats Director of Sales: Southern Africa.
Malcolm Robinson, Chief Operating Officer for aha Chobe Marina Lodge, says: “Botswana is an amazing place to visit, safe and affordable, and is showing growth year on year.”
Future growth
Looking forward, Robinson comments: “Botswana will remain a destination to visit as the environmental policies are in place to ensure the sustainability of the industry.”
Wilderness Safaris Marketing Manager, Carli Flemmer, says the operator is expecting strong growth in Botswana this year, and has already seen an increase in booking requests.
“We are currently tracking ahead of the same time last year with regard to bed nights in Botswana. We do expect this growth to continue as the country continues to offer an exceptional tourism experience and grows as a bucket-list destination for many intrepid travellers worldwide,” she states.
Current inventory
There are currently 66 existing rooms at aha Chobe Marina Lodge, with no space for additional rooms, says Robinson, however, the hotel is always looking at ways to upgrade and change, in order to better their product. He reveals that aha is looking at doing a soft upgrade to its rooms during the course of the year.
While Wilderness Safaris is not expecting to add more beds to its portfolio in Botswana at this stage, it has made significant investment into its current camp offering, such as rebuilding Mombo and the current rebuild of Chitabe, and enhancing its guest experience, including the launch of the new Star Bed at DumaTau.
Wilderness Safaris is also planning further investment during the course of the year in its Premier Camp offering, with a rebuild of Jao and Kings Pool camps to improve the standard of accommodation to complement the safari experience.
