Prospects for Sustainable Tourism Product Diversification: The Creative Industries in Botswana

ABSTRACT

Currently on a global scale tourism development has gained significant attention for increasingly becoming an important tool for promoting economic growth. In developing countries, it is seen as a means of alleviating poverty within communities. While tourism is a multi-sector industry, there is limited empirical research on creative industries in Botswana;these include fashion, media, film, art, live events and advertising. Today the emergence and the uniqueness of local culture as a means of diversifying the tourism product in the country is gaining popularity and attention alongside tourism remaining one of Botswana’s most important services industries responsible for export. The industry is vital for employment and income generation. Currently tourism is highly based around the country’s natural resources although it has the potential to grow beyond this by diversification facilitated through unique Tourism product development interventions. This paper identifies prospects for the growth of sustainable and tourism product diversification by addressing strategic interventions using the creative industries in Botswana through means of driving innovation and technology. The paper brings forward recommendations that have the potential to underpin economic development within the country. Using a qualitative approach the paper appraises the current state of the tourism industry in Botswana not only for the revival and recovery of tourism in Botswana post Covid-19 but attempts to develop a plan for streamlining the creative industry within the realms of cultural heritage tourism and sustainability of tourism. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.