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
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana, 1995–2021
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.
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Botswana, year by year
| Year | trips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 471,000 trips | — |
| 1996 | 462,000 trips | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 547,000 trips | +18.4% |
| 1998 | 671,000 trips | +22.7% |
| 1999 | 762,000 trips | +13.6% |
| 2000 | 961,000 trips | +26.1% |
| 2001 | 1.09 million trips | +13.9% |
| 2002 | 1.15 million trips | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 1.30 million trips | +12.9% |
| 2004 | 1.44 million trips | +11.0% |
| 2005 | 1.40 million trips | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 1.35 million trips | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 1.62 million trips | +19.9% |
| 2008 | 1.95 million trips | +20.8% |
| 2009 | 1.58 million trips | -19.4% |
| 2010 | 1.78 million trips | +13.3% |
| 2012 | 1.47 million trips | -17.9% |
| 2013 | 1.19 million trips | -19.0% |
| 2014 | 1.36 million trips | +14.3% |
| 2015 | 1.04 million trips | -23.6% |
| 2016 | 1.11 million trips | +7.3% |
| 2017 | 1.24 million trips | +11.5% |
| 2018 | 1.28 million trips | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 1.18 million trips | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 259,200 trips | -78.0% |
| 2021 | 203,100 trips | -21.6% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 203,100 trips is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.32 million trips, 15% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 203,100 trips is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 228,750 trips, 89% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More reference data data for Botswana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0078 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0825 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0424 (2050)
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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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.