Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana

Botswana: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 203,100 trips in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
203,100 trips
Change on year
down 21.6%
World rank
128th
of 179 countries
All-time high
1.95 million trips
in 2008
All-time low
203,100 trips
in 2021
Years of data
26
1995–2021

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana, 1995–2021

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1995200820211995: 471.0k trips1996: 462.0k trips1997: 547.0k trips1998: 671.0k trips1999: 762.0k trips2000: 961.0k trips2001: 1.1M trips2002: 1.2M trips2003: 1.3M trips2004: 1.4M trips2005: 1.4M trips2006: 1.3M trips2007: 1.6M trips2008: 2.0M trips2009: 1.6M trips2010: 1.8M trips2012: 1.5M trips2013: 1.2M trips2014: 1.4M trips2015: 1.0M trips2016: 1.1M trips2017: 1.2M trips2018: 1.3M trips2019: 1.2M trips2020: 259.2k trips2021: 203.1k trips

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana is 203,100 trips, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

That represents a change of down 21.6% on the previous year and down 88.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana peaked at 1.95 million trips in 2008 and was at its lowest, 203,100 trips, in 2021.

That places Botswana 128th out of 179 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 582,600 trips 462,000 trips 762,000 trips 5
2000s 1.38 million trips 961,000 trips 1.95 million trips 10
2010s 1.29 million trips 1.04 million trips 1.78 million trips 9
2020s 231,150 trips 203,100 trips 259,200 trips 2

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 125 French Polynesia 206,700 trips compare
  2. 126 Democratic Republic of Congo 205,500 trips compare
  3. 127 Belize 203,500 trips compare
  4. 129 Myanmar 189,100 trips compare
  5. 130 Benin 171,300 trips compare
  6. 131 Rwanda 168,500 trips compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana was 203,100 trips in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 1.95 million trips in 2008.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 203,100 trips in 2021.
How does Botswana rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
Botswana ranks 128th out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 88.6%. 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 for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.