Tourism Statistics - Government of Botswana

2.4 Resident Outbound Tourists
The information from the Bank of Botswana indicates the following for 2005/2006: -
Period Travel P ‘000 Transport P ‘000
Credit Debit Credit Debit
2005 Q3 360,723 60,602 41,468 65,177
Q4 383,770 75,184 61,726 506,248
2006 Q1 15,703 71,992 64,941 71,441
Q2 381,529 58,460 44,218 81,387
Total 1,141,725 266,238 212,353 724,253
Source: Bank of Botswana
Travel Credits totalled some P1.1 billion, and transport credits a further P 0.2 billion, making P1.4
billion altogether. These figures reflect foreign transactions within the banking system. Because
there are so many ways to make foreign exchange transactions, these figures tend to understate
the inbound tourism expenditure. The figures since the Year 2000 are shown in Annex 10.
For outbound tourism spending, the figures indicate more than P 0.9 billion of which the majority is
in the transport account. The domestic component of spending on trips abroad appears unlikely to
exceed a substantial percentage addition because Botswana‟s airlines tend to deal with domestic
flights and short-haul international flights. Tour operations and travel agency operations (as
margins) are relatively modest in volume for outbound tourism. As a notional order of magnitude
for the domestic component of trips abroad, one may be talking of 5-10%. In the context of the
figures above, An arbitrary figure has been used, making it the same as the tour operator margins
on the inbound tourism expenditure (P 72 million).
For the estimate of outbound tourism spending the BOB figures have been used from the debits
for travel and transport as a broad order of magnitude, giving a figure of P 990 million.
2.5 Tables 2 to 4 in the TSA
In putting together Table 2, it has not been possible to make an estimate of same-day tourism
domestic trips outside of the „usual environment‟.
There is a lot of domestic travel in Botswana, because the population moves for the purpose of
finding work but is still travelling back to its traditional homelands or to see family and friends. The
population does not see this travel as tourism. Given its frequency, it is questionable where to
draw a line between what is tourism and what is not. Also some of the population own or rent a
house where they work (e.g. Gaborone) but also have a house back in their home town or village.
Going between their house in their home village and their house where they work is frequent but
not seen as tourism by the local people.
However, in terms of tourism analysis, the house in their home town or village to which they travel,
frequently or not frequently, can be viewed as a second home. Visits to second homes are
considered as tourism, irrespective of the distance to the usual place of residence and the
frequency of the visit.
A breakdown of domestic tourism expenditure beyond the spending in hotels and restaurants has
not been possible. The balance between domestic expenditure on accommodation and on food
and beverage reflects the significant level of travel to visit friends and relatives.
With these reservations, estimates have been entered into Table 2 (Domestic Tourism Spending)
and Table 3 (Resident Outbound Tourism Spending) and then adding together Tables 1 & 2, one
obtains Table 4 which is described as Internal Tourism Consumption.
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