The anticipated Botswana Tourism Investment Summit (BTIS) will be held in Gaborone, Botswana, between November 22 and 24, 2023. The summit aims to highlight the country’s strong potential and untapped tourism and investment opportunities.
The Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) and International Tourism and Investment Conference (ITIC), in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), announced this via a release published on the Botswana Tourism Facebook page on Tuesday.
The Botswana Tourism Investment Summit is an annual event that brings together prospective and existing investors and developers from industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality with the hopes of cultivating, protecting, and developing Botswana’s beautiful natural resources and heritage sites.
According to the release, the Tourism Investment Summit, hosted by International Tourism Investment Corporation Ltd in partnership with the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) Summit, is expected to act as a catalyst for unlocking investment opportunities for Botswana, which remains a relatively unexploited tourist region.
“Over the last few years, Botswana has been actively shifting to another stage of its economic development. The country is strongly positioned in the heart of southern Africa as a gateway to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia and as 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, which has become the future engine of growth and is Africa’s longest-surviving democracy since independence with a stable and prosperous economy,” the release reveals.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Hon. Philda Nani Kereng, Minister of Environment and Tourism of Botswana, said: “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, 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 policymakers and investors not to underestimate the potential of one of the most beautiful countries in Africa. Rated Africa’s best safari destination 2023, the Summit propels investments towards building Botswana as a destination of choice for business”.
The Botswana Tourism 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 raise funds to invest in sustainable tourism projects.
The Summit will see some of the best specialists explore the current trends and discuss the future of the tourism industry in Botswana. This was reiterated by IFC International Finance Corporation’s acting Country Manager for Botswana, Indira Campos, who said. “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.”
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.
Furthermore, Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman of ITIC & former Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation said: “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”. To attend the event, delegates should register.
