With the objective to promote investments into untapped tourism opportunities, particularly sustainable tourism products, final preparations are on for the Botswana Tourism Investment Summit.

The Botswana Tourism Investment Summit aims to spotlight the country as an economic tiger in the making for its untapped tourism and investment opportunities.

According to a press statement, the highly anticipated ‘Botswana Tourism Investment Summit’ hosted by International Tourism Investment Corporation, in partnership with Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), and with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will be held in the capital Gaborone, on November 22-24.

It will aim to highlight the country’s strong potential and untapped tourism and investment opportunities. The organisers say the summit is expected to act as a catalyst for unlocking investment opportunities for Botswana which remains a relatively unexploited tourist region. They add that over the last few years, Botswana has been actively shifting to another stage of its economic development.

They say that the country is strongly positioned in the heart of southern Africa as a gateway to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia, effectively a conduit for investors to do business with the rest of Southern Africa. A conducive environment will be rolled out to accelerate the impact of foreign investment and tourism within Botswana that has become the future engine of growth and is Africa’s longest surviving democracy since independence with a stable and prosperous economy.

“Botswana opens its doors to international sustainable investment opportunities that, till now, have been relatively untapped. Our mission is to provoke new thinking and explore new opportunities and financial mechanisms for sustainable investments in travel and tourism and business. We are honoured to host the Botswana Tourism Investment Summit organised by ITIC and with a landscape like no other, we strongly encourage policy makers and investors not to underestimate the potential of one of the most beautiful countries within Africa. Rated Africa’s best safari destination 2023, the Summit propels investments towards building Botswana as a destination of choice for business,” says Philda Nani Kereng, Minister of Environment and Tourism of Botswana.

The organisers say that the BotswanaTourism Investment Summit and Exhibition will host approximately 300-400 tourism and financial services CEOs and business elites who will deliver an unrivalled combination of thought-provoking content and extraordinary networking opportunities. This will bring together international leaders and project developers in the tourism, travel and hospitality sectors and connect them with investors from private equity firms, investment banks, institutional investors, fund managers and influencers, who have the power to channel capital and to raise funds to invest in sustainable tourism projects.

They add that the summit will see some of the best specialists explore the current trends and discuss the future of the tourism industry in Botswana. “Tourism is a key enabling sector in Botswana with high potential for growth and can help create jobs, reduce inequality, and contribute to diversifying the economy. IFC is committed to supporting efforts to further develop Botswana’s tourism sector by attracting private investment into lodges and other tourism-related infrastructure, including transport, hotels, camp and caravan sites, and food and hospitality services,” says Indira Campos, acting Country Manager of IFC.

IFC, a member of the World Bank, promotes private sector development in emerging markets, and its work in the tourism sector is a key part of that mission. IFC provides financing and advisory services to help businesses in this sector grow and create jobs, while also promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

“We are delighted that Botswana has been recognised for the vast investment potential available to potential stakeholders. The country’s financial and capital markets are among the most sophisticated in Africa, and our Summit provides the opportune platform to drive international awareness and further investment into Botswana and act as a catalyst for growth,” says Taleb Rifai, Chairman of ITIC & former Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.