Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) will be hosting the annual Botswana Travel and Tourism Expo (BTTE) from November 29 to December 2 where a total of 140 companies will descend upon Kasane.

BTTE, which has been held annually since 2013, is a business-to-business forum where global wholesalers and retailers meet with local tourism operators.

BTTE will host 28 countries from across Africa, Europe, the USA, Asia, and Australia through participating agents and buyers.

According to BTO public relations messaging, this year a total of 140 companies from around the world will be attending and will, in turn, meet with 150 local operators for unique strategic networking opportunities and special insight into Botswana’s tourism products.

The annual tourism expo provides an opportunity for the global tourism industry to meet on a one-on-one basis with their Botswana tourism industry counterparts to trade and agree on future tourism packages for global tourists, reads the message.

For small and medium local businesses, BTTE offers the only opportunity to meet and interact with a large number of buyers. It also allows hosted buyers to expand engagements with Botswana companies and diversify their tourism offerings.

BTTE will provide buyers with first-hand experience with a range of diverse Botswana tourism products and interactive workshops. It also offers a unique familiarisation tour for international trade buyers and media.

Furthermore, the BTO has noted that about 15 local craft producers and suppliers of other consumable goods and services produced locally will attend the open-air exhibition, intended to bring them closer to the industry, to promote their various products and services.

In addition, there will be various platforms to network with local travel and tourism companies for product packaging and enhancement; inclusive of interactive destination workshops which are curated in a ‘storytelling’ format to intensely educate the travel industry about Botswana tourism products.

The event is open to Licensed Local Tourism Operators who have registered for participation.

BTTE creates business and capacity-building opportunities by providing buyers with insightful information on a range of tourism products through sessions and destination training by the country’s travel and tourism experts.