Botswana Tourism Organization (BTO), formerly known as Botswana Tourism Board was established by an act of parliament in 2003, to market and promote Botswana as a tourist destination of choice, grade and classify tourist accommodation facilities, as well as to promote Botswana as a tourism investment destination. Botswana Tourism Organization, which trades as Botswana Tourism started its operations in January 2006.

Botswana into a unique preferred tourism destination of choice in order to increase the sector’s contribution to the nation’s economic growth, through active participation of the local and international communities for the sustainable utilisation of tourism resources.” The Organization also operates under a number of values which direct and dictate how employees of the Organization should approach their work. BTO also operates under a set of values which are:

• Botho/Hospitality: To serve our customers and stakeholders in a courteous, pleasant and professional manner to project a positive image about Botswana Tourism Organization;
• Result Oriented: To work together as a team, harness and deploy available resources for optimal output;
• Creativity, innovation & Entrepreneurship: To apply initiative and business and ingenuity to ensure that the Organization continues to be competitive;
• Customer Focus: To provide high standards deliverables that exceed customer expectation, effectively and efficiently to build customer confidence;
• Strategy: To effectively rationalise human and material resources at our disposal, to maximise industry growth and competitiveness and;
• Professionalism: To apply high standards of service delivery at all times.

Botswana Tourism Organization is still growing to reach its fullest capacity, and currently employs a total of 87 individuals in the various departments of the Organization, namely: Business development, projects administration, legal & estate services, marketing, quality assurance, finance and human resources. In addition, a personal assistant and internal auditor all report to the Chief Executive Officer, Myra Sekgororoane.

In the endeavor to promote the tourism sector and have a presence all over the country, BTO has set up offices in Gaborone, Kasane, Palapye, Selebi Phikwe, Maun, Ghanzi, Tsabong and Francistown. The Organization has information offices in Gaborone (Main Mall), Letlhakane and Kang strategically located to serve Botswana Tourism’s diverse clientele. Moreover, we have information booths located in Maun, Kasane & Gaborone airports. In order to maintain our presence even overseas, Botswana Tourism Organization has representatives strategically located in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and in Germany. These representatives are responsible for carrying out BTO mandate in the respective countries.

Botswana Tourism Organization is unique in that it is the sole organization in Botswana whose mandate is not only to market and promote Botswana as a tourist destination, but also classifies tourist accommodation facilities and promote Botswana as a investment destination of choice. The successful implementation of marketing plans to achieve the above mentioned help to position Botswana as a destination of choice for leisure and for business. Botswana Tourism Organization plays a very important role in selling Botswana to the international world and takes pride in doing so.

Botswana is home to some of the most diverse nature and wilderness in Africa and has a lot to offer tourists by way of variety in the four regions: Southern, Northern, Eastern and Kgalagadi/ Central. The travel destinations found in these regions leave any tourist spoilt for choice.

Botswana’s bustling capital city, which is also one of Africa’s fastest growing cities offers a wide range of activities to participate in including visits to the National Museum and Art Gallery, the Botanical Gardens, Gaborone Dam or the majestic Kgale hill.

Day trips can be taken outside of Gaborone to places like Mokolodi Nature Reserve, the village of Kanye, Otse to view or climb the Otse Mountains, or even a trip to Kanye which has one of the most scenic routes in Southern Botswana.

On a trip to Eastern Botswana, the array of destinations beauty of the Northern Tuli Game reserve where the ancient Mapungubwe Hill rich in wildlife, and boasts a very intriguing history. In Old Palapye, very important multicultural history can be found with artifacts from the Middle Stone Age, Late Stone Age and the Early Iron Age. It is also the site where of the 19th century capital of the Bamangwato (led by Khama III). Still in Eastern Botswana, Moremi Gorge - situated deep within the Tswapong Hills, is the source of three permanent waterfalls.

Both Northern and Kgalagadi/ central regions in Botswana are arguably some of the most popular regions of tourist interest in Botswana. The Kgalagadiamazing in that it defines stereotypical opinions of what deserts look like, is rich in natural resources and wildlife population. Covering 84 percent of Botswana’s land area, the Kgalagadi covers most of Botswana. One can visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Khutse Game Reserve, Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve, Nxai Pan National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Northern Botswana is home to the great Okavango Delta - a travel destination so appreciated Botswana Tourism Organization was awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Award for the Okavango Delta. The Organization has since dedicated this award to the Batawana Tribe, who are described as the custodians of the Okavango Delta. The Okavango, shaped like a fan, is fed by the Okavango River and is the third largest in southern Africa. This Okavango Delta is situated deep within the Kalahari Basin, and is often referred to as the ‘jewel’ of the Kalahari. This proposed World Heritage site is home to species such as elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippo, crocodile, red lechwe, waterbuck, reedbuck and so, so many more.

As a way of ensuring Botswana remains a tourism destination of choice, BTO is working effortlessly to diversify tourism products in Botswana away from just wildlife. BTO is looking into promoting cities, the kgalagadi, dams across the country and culture based tourism as locations of choice.

locations of choice. To set Botswana apart from other tourism locations, BTO is engaged in the practice of ecofriendly tourism to encourage sustainable tourism in Botswana.

Botswana Tourism Organization is proud to be involved in the marketing and promoting of Botswana, after all, it is a country with so much to offer.