On the occasion of the presentation of the 2026/27 budget by Vice President, HATAB welcomes his pledge to support tourism as a key sector for economic diversification and sustainable growth.
HATAB supports the government’s stated aim to allow the private sector to lead economic growth. This move will strengthen macroeconomic stability and also help the government to achieve the much-needed fiscal consolidation.
Ease of Doing Business & Investor Confidence
HATAB concurs with the VP that the Ease of Doing Business is essential to boost investor confidence and is therefore ready to collaborate with the government to remove regulatory impediments to business.
Tourism Lease Concessions
HATAB acknowledges the Vice President’s update on the applications and renewal of tourism lease concessions. The government is also encouraged to reduce turnaround times for lease applications to provide the much need security of tenure for operators to reinvest, thereby directly boosting employment opportunities.
Public Private Partnerships
HATAB also requests the government to embrace Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to address infrastructure gaps particularly in national parks to improve access and enhance the visitor experience while creating sustainable jobs.
Promoting a Private Sector Export-Led Economy
With a development allocation targeted at export growth, the 2026 budget rightly identifies tourism as a leading services export. HATAB supports the move to diversify the sector by leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC-EPA) frameworks mentioned in the speech to position Botswana as a competitive destination which generates foreign exchange earnings.
Strategic Connectivity: Empowering Air Botswana
Air connectivity is critical for the success of the tourism sector. In view of that, HATAB supports the government’s aim to transform State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) into high-performance organizations.
HATAB therefore supports plans to strengthen Air Botswana as a matter of priority to improve frequency and make Botswana more accessible for global travellers.
Employment Creation
The tourism currently supports over 50,000 direct jobs. The 2026 Budget’s emphasis on TVET Policy reform ensures that the workforce is equipped with industry-aligned skills is endorsed. By integrating creative arts, sports, and adventure tourism into the vocational curriculum, the economy would
