Tourism Data Dashboard Project Gains Momentum at Third Stakeholder Workshop in Gaborone

Tourism Data Dashboard Project Gains Momentum at Third Stakeholder Workshop in Gaborone. Botswana’s tourism sector took another step toward digital transformation as the Department of Tourism, in collaboration with JICA Botswana, hosted the third stakeholder workshop on the Botswana Tourism Statistics Dashboard (BTSD) at Cresta President Hotel in Gaborone.

The workshop brought together a range of public and private sector players to assess ongoing progress in developing the BTSD — a centralised digital platform designed to aggregate tourism data in real time. The goal is to improve decision-making across the industry, enable targeted marketing, and support smarter investments in Botswana’s tourism landscape.

Mr. Raymond Tsheko, Transformation Office Coordinator at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, opened the session by highlighting the importance of reliable and timely data in shaping tourism policy and ensuring transparency. “Data is at the core of meaningful transformation,” he noted.

The BTSD aims to be a practical tool for entrepreneurs, hospitality operators, and policymakers alike. Once operational, it will allow users to monitor visitor trends, assess market performance, and tailor tourism offerings to demand — an advantage especially crucial for Botswana’s growing base of tourism-focused businesses.

In her closing remarks, Ms. Maureen Tshebo, speaking on behalf of the Acting Director of Tourism, acknowledged the continued support of stakeholders. She encouraged active participation and consistent data submission, which she said will be key to the dashboard’s long-term relevance and effectiveness.