Tourism Statistics - Government of Botswana

4. Total Spending by Same-day visitors
The Total Spending by Same-day visitors for 2005/2006 (day visitors) is then estimated by
multiplying the Spend per Same-day visitor by the number of Same-day visitors.
Table A4.3: Total Spending by Same-day visitors in 2005/ 2006
Total Number of Same-day visitors 213,000
Country of Residence Percent Spend Total Spend
Pula P million
Other 2.5% 347 1.85
Namibia 4.5% 54 0.52
South Africa 42.0% 347 31.04
Zambia 1.0% 54 0.12
Zimbabwe 50.0% 276 29.39
62.92
The total day visitor spending is estimated at Pula 63 million for 2005/06. It is fair to mention that
the relative sampling errors that are associated with these statistics are upwards of 60%. So, as
with any estimates involving sampling, it is necessary to indicate that this estimate (P 63 million)
could lie with 95% confidence levels anywhere between P25million and P100 million
(approximately).
5. Breakdown of the Same-day visitor spending
Sample estimates of the breakdown of day visitor expenditure are obtained from DOT visitor
surveys in 2005 and in 2006. The key feature of these breakdowns is that the day visitors into
Botswana are not spending on the usual tourism services – accommodation, meals and drinks,
transport, recreation - or hardly at all. They are spending on „shopping‟ and on „other‟ items, which
appear to encompass a whole range of other goods and services.
To some extent these findings coincide with simple observation. Zimbabweans are coming across
to make transactions within Botswana that perhaps in other years they may have made within their
own country. South Africa is different to Zimbabwe but again the focus of expenditure is upon
„shopping‟ and „other‟ items. Estimates for South African expenditure could be influenced by the
strong involvement of South African companies in the Botswana economy. For example, some
business expenditure by a South African day visitor will be met by the local office in, say,
Gaborone. So DOT interviewers at Sir Seretse Khama airport, would come across South Africans,
both same-day visitors and overnight visitors, who had spent almost nothing because all their
costs had been picked up by the company in Botswana.
The breakdowns of expenditure and the figures adopted for 2005/2006 are shown in the Table
below.
Table A4.4: Breakdown of Spending on the Same-day Visit Trip - Percent
2005
Statistic
2006
Statistic
Adopted for
2005/2006
Money Spent on Accommodation 1.1% 3.9% 2.5%
Money Spent on Meals and Drink 2.7% 4.0% 3.3%
Money Spent on Transport 3.0% 1.9% 2.5%
Money Spent on Recreation 0.1% 0.8% 0.5%
Money Spent on Shopping 64.4% 0.1% 63.2%
Money Spent on 'Other' Spending 28.8% 89.3% 28.0%
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
47