While the challenge of diversifying beyond wildlife tourism is not unique to Botswana, the country’s safari offering remains more tightly ring-fenced than that of other African destinations, like Kenya or South Africa, where cultural and community experiences are more readily incorporated into itineraries.
Now several operators are speaking out about the missed opportunities caused by Botswana’s “safari bubble” – and calling for a broader tourism narrative.
Shielded from reality
Tessa Bell, Co-Founder of The Pack, says the country’s tourism model is built on an outdated ideal that shields travellers from reality. “There’s this idea of land in Maun and get them out of there as soon as possible. Don’t see a person; don’t see anything that’s going to break your safari bubble experience. Just stay in the airport, go to a lounge full of leather furniture so that it feels like you’re already on safari, then get on your vehicle and go.”
She contrasts this with Kenya where travellers are more likely to get a glimpse into everyday life “There, it’s in your face. No one’s making an apology because there’s a cow next to the road and there’s an elephant on the other side.”
Bell argues that this approach has reinforced the perception that anything outside the pristine wildlife setting is a flaw in the guest experience. “Why can’t that be part of it? It’s almost like a trade expectation,” she said. “We’ve got to put you in a bubble and keep you in a bubble and that’s what you’re paying for.”
Richer experiences
This effort to protect the safari image, she says, has led to reluctance to market or even acknowledge the rich cultural and community context in which safaris take place. “As Botswana-based operators, we’re responsible for the story we’re sharing when we go out and do marketing and sales,” says Bell. “Equally, I’d like to challenge the international trade and buyer to ask: what is your contribution to maintaining that sense that you’re going to stay in the safari bubble?”
Chris Roche, Co-Founder of Wild Expeditions, agrees that is a critical initiative, not just in Botswana but across the continent. He says: “African tourism is so much more than just the novelty of safari. We have so much more to offer, given the richness of culture and people in Africa, and these are things that we can expose travellers to and thus enrich their journeys.”
Roche points to the success of community partnerships at Wild Expeditions’ Karangoma camp in the north of the Okavango where the Gudigwa community of Bukakhwe San play a central role in the guest experience.
Community innovation
Some operators are actively creating cultural experiences to break the mould. During the pandemic, Safari Destinations developed the Maun Immersive Tour (MIT), which is now run by NGO Travel for Impact, as a way to give travellers a more grounded understanding of Batswana life and to diversify the tourism economy.
“The original thinking was multi-faceted,” says Carina Grüninger, MD of Safari Destinations. “We believe in the value of cultural tourism, recognising that the interest in this from a traveller’s perspective is growing. And besides being good for the traveller, it’s good for business.”
The three-hour tour includes visits to the local car wash, market, kgotla (community meeting place), a traditional restaurant and a basket-weaving cooperative – all hosted by a Motswana who shares personal stories and cultural context along the way.
Grüninger says the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “Guests have commented on the authentic nature of the experience. Too often, cultural tourism can feel forced and put on for show. The MIT visits people in their workplaces, going about their daily business.”
But getting the broader trade to see Botswana as more than a wildlife destination remains a challenge. “It is less about misconceptions and more about daily realities,” Grüninger explains. “The alternative to wildlife needs to actually exist and it needs to be offered reliably and at the quality required for an international visitor.”
She believes the path to success lies in collaboration between operators, communities and trusted trade partners. “Developing a cultural tourism product takes a unique set of skills: knowledge about the culture, knowledge about the international visitor and their interests, and creativity to design a cultural experience in a way that will delight and inform.”
Grüninger warns: “With cultural tourism gaining more importance to the traveller who wants to explore more than just a safari, it is important that we do diversify in this way but in a way that is authentic. If we don’t, we risk placing even greater pressure on Botswana’s limited environmental resources and limiting the participation of citizens in the tourism economy.”
