Botswana Tourism Bodies Target Global MICE Growth Through New Strategy

Botswana Tourism Bodies Target Global MICE Growth Through New SStrategy. The Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) and the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) have held discussions on implementing the country’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Strategy, with a focus on tourism standards and industry competitiveness.

The engagement focused on developing appropriate standards for the sector and strengthening collaboration between government institutions and private businesses to support the strategy’s implementation.

The MICE Strategy aims to position Botswana as a premier global destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions by 2036. It proposes an integrated approach to developing the sector across eight destinations: Gaborone, Francistown, Maun, Kasane, Palapye, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi and Selebi-Phikwe.

MICE tourism has been identified as a potential contributor to economic diversification under the Botswana Transformation Economic Programme (BTEP). The sector is expected to create opportunities for investment, business growth and employment, while increasing visitor spending.

BTO Acting Executive Manager for Marketing, Tebogo Ramakgathi, highlighted the organisation’s commitment to working with the private sector to implement the strategy.

She emphasised the importance of collaboration among industry stakeholders in unlocking the potential of Botswana’s MICE sector.

Tourism standards were another key focus of the discussions, particularly their role in supporting service quality and business competitiveness. The Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) participated in the engagement to clarify existing and proposed standards.

HATAB chief executive officer Lilly Rakorong called for effective monitoring following the implementation of standards to ensure they deliver value to businesses and the wider tourism sector.

he also stressed the importance of benchmarking Botswana’s standards against those of other countries to keep its MICE and tourism offerings competitive and aligned with international best practices.

The engagement reaffirmed the importance of public-private sector cooperation in translating the MICE Strategy into practical interventions.