Botswana National Ecotourism Strategy.

It is emphasised that in Botswana ecotourism refers to the country’s cultural, as well as natural heritage, and that great importance is placed on the active involvement of host communities in all aspects of the industry’s management and development. More specifically, ecotourism refers to tourism to areas of natural and cultural heritage that is planned and managed with the objective of: Minimising negative social, cultural and environmental impacts; Maximising the involvement in, and the equitable distribution of economic benefits to, host communities; Maximising revenues for re-investment in conservation; Educating both visitors and local people as to the importance of conserving natural and cultural resources; Delivering a quality experience for tourists; These five principles of ecotourism have underpinned the development of the National Ecotourism Strategy since its inception.
The goal of the National Ecotourism Strategy is to create an environment in which all elements of tourism development planning and management facilitate, promote and reward adherence to the key principles of ecotourism. High potential areas for tourism development have been inventoried, and the strategy putting in place the necessary measures enables any development to be planned and managed in accordance with the principles of ecotourism. The NES aims to complement the Botswana Tourism Master Plan. It is not intended to address general tourism development issues. In keeping with Botswana’s long tradition of public consultation in policy development, and in recognition of the fact that the NES will only fulfill its potential as a tool for conservation and development if it has the support of all stakeholders, the process of formulating the strategy was designed to ensure that all play – from the outset – a central role in its development.
Actions and Objectives are: 1. To ensure that the planning, development and management of tourism in Botswana is consistent with the concept of sustainability. 2. To facilitate the development of economically-viable and effectively-managed ecotourism enterprises. 3. To increase the number of Botswana meaningfully involved in, and benefiting from, the tourism industry. 4. To promote marketing initiatives which support the sustainable development and diversification of the tourism industry. 5. To enhance understanding of the concept of ecotourism among all stakeholder groups, and to raise awareness of the costs, benefits, opportunities and implications of ecotourism development. 6. To facilitate the development of tourism infrastructure that minimises negative impacts, maximises the benefits of ecotourism, and is sensitive to target market expectations. 7. To promote consistently high quality ecotourism standards throughout the country’s tourism industry in line with international target market expectations. 8. To facilitate the development of Botswana’s ecotourism industry through improved inter- and intra-sectoral co-ordination and collaboration.