Botswana Introducing Tourism Tax to Preserve Wildlife

(Source: Travel Weekly China)

Botswana is to introduce a US$30 (€27.50, £23) tax on all tourists entering the country, with the proceeds going toward conservation efforts to protect its natural wonders.

Welcoming more than 1.6 million visitors annually, the tax is thought to be worth more than US$6m (€5.5m, £4.65m) a year, with the Tourism Development Levy (TDL) aiming to “support the growth of the industry and broaden the tourism base”, raising funds for conservation and national tourism development.

According to the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), residents from within the Southern African Development Community – which has 15 member states – will be exempt from the charge, with the TDL payable upon entry into the country when it comes into force on 1 June.

Located in West Africa, Botswana is a tourism hotspot for safari enthusiasts, who come for the “Big Five” wild animals – the African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and rhinoceros. Botswana is also home to the Okavango Delta, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. Tourism is Botswana’s second largest foreign exchange earner and plays a significant part in its economic growth.