The Vice President of the Republic of Botswana, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe, officially launched Tourism Pitso 2026 in Francistown this afternoon. The national dialogue, running from 22–23 January 2026 at Adansonia Hotel, brings together leaders, practitioners, and partners across Botswana’s tourism sector to shape a collaborative and forward-looking strategy. The Pitso convenes amid shifting global travel trends, evolving community expectations, and Botswana’s broader economic transformation agenda.
In his keynote address, Vice President Gaolathe emphasized that the theme, “Tourism as a Catalyst for Economic Transformation and Sustainable Growth through Partnerships,” represents a national commitment rather than a slogan. He positioned tourism as a strategic pillar for inclusive growth, job creation, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment, aligned with the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) and National Development Plan 12. He highlighted the need to deepen citizen participation, strengthen partnerships, reduce value leakages, and retain tourism benefits within the domestic economy to enhance competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
Vice President Gaolathe also outlined ongoing reforms and investments to reposition tourism as a driver of diversification. These include policy and legislative reviews, development of Tourism Development Areas, infrastructure upgrades, and heritage preservation initiatives. He called for shared responsibility among government, the private sector, communities, and development partners to ensure tourism delivers dignity, opportunity, and tangible benefits for communities living alongside tourism assets. Declaring Tourism Pitso 2026 officially open, he called for honest dialogue, bold decisions, and collective action to build a resilient, inclusive, and ethically grounded tourism sector.
Strategic dialogues and panel discussions are central to the Pitso. Botswana Tourism Organisation CEO, Ms Keitumetse Setlang, moderated a session titled “Tourism at a Crossroads: Confronting Growth and Diversification Challenges in Botswana.” Panelists included Mr Joe Matome, Managing Director of Wilderness Safaris; Dr Gwinyai Mercy Musikavanhu, Senior Lecturer at Botswana Accountancy College; and Mr Tjark Gall, Urban Development Specialist at the World Bank. The discussion focused on growth constraints, diversification pathways, and partnerships required to strengthen resilience and long-term competitiveness in the tourism sector.
Other sessions at Tourism Pitso 2026 explore community beneficiation as a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable tourism growth, financing opportunities with the financial sector as a key enabler, sectoral policy issues, strategies to plug value leakages, and interactive approaches to mapping, storytelling, and destination branding. Key industry leadership, including Botswana Tourism Organisation Board Chairperson Mr James Mmohe, Board Member Ms Olivia Adams, CEO Ms Keitumetse Setlang, and BTO management, reaffirmed institutional commitment to the sector’s strategic advancement.
Tourism Pitso 2026 positions itself as a strategic platform for alignment, innovation, and collective action. By addressing critical challenges and identifying opportunities, the forum strengthens Botswana’s vision for a resilient, diversified, and competitive tourism economy while ensuring growth benefits are felt across communities nationwide.
