Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Botswana

Botswana: Arrivals of tourists from abroad was 314,000 arrivals in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
314,000 arrivals
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
147th
of 203 countries
All-time high
2.10 million arrivals
in 2008
All-time low
314,000 arrivals
in 2021
Years of data
26
1995–2021

Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Botswana, 1995–2021

500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1995200820211995: 521.0k arrivals1996: 512.0k arrivals1997: 607.0k arrivals1998: 750.0k arrivals1999: 843.0k arrivals2000: 1.1M arrivals2001: 1.2M arrivals2002: 1.3M arrivals2003: 1.4M arrivals2004: 1.5M arrivals2005: 1.5M arrivals2006: 1.4M arrivals2007: 1.7M arrivals2008: 2.1M arrivals2009: 1.7M arrivals2010: 2.0M arrivals2012: 1.6M arrivals2013: 1.5M arrivals2014: 2.0M arrivals2015: 1.5M arrivals2016: 1.6M arrivals2017: 1.6M arrivals2018: 1.7M arrivals2019: 1.5M arrivals2020: 328.5k arrivals2021: 314.0k arrivals

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in arrivals.

Analysis

In 2021, arrivals of tourists from abroad in Botswana stood at 314,000 arrivals. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 84.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad in Botswana peaked at 2.10 million arrivals in 2008 and was at its lowest, 314,000 arrivals, in 2021.

That places Botswana 147th out of 203 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 646,600 arrivals 512,000 arrivals 843,000 arrivals 5
2000s 1.50 million arrivals 1.10 million arrivals 2.10 million arrivals 10
2010s 1.66 million arrivals 1.45 million arrivals 1.97 million arrivals 9
2020s 321,250 arrivals 314,000 arrivals 328,500 arrivals 2

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 144 Antigua and Barbuda 330,200 arrivals compare
  2. 145 Benin 325,000 arrivals compare
  3. 146 Lesotho 320,000 arrivals compare
  4. 148 Burundi 299,000 arrivals compare
  5. 149 Guyana 288,000 arrivals compare
  6. 150 Cayman Islands 284,300 arrivals compare

See the full ranking of 203 places →

More reference data data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad in Botswana?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Botswana was 314,000 arrivals in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 2.10 million arrivals in 2008.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 314,000 arrivals in 2021.
How does Botswana rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad?
Botswana ranks 147th out of 203 countries with data for 2021.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 84.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad
Unit
arrivals
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
203 places, 5,187 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of trips by visitors who arrive from abroad and stay overnight.