Sunday Standard
Transport economy splits in two as tourism aviation surges
The local transport sector is telling two very different stories. On the ground, motorists are buying fewer vehicles and rail freight is moving less cargo. In the air, however, a tourism-driven boom is propelling aircraft and passenger movements to sharply higher levels.
According to Statistics Botswana’s Transport and Infrastructure Statistics Brief for Quarter 2 of 2026, first-time vehicle registrations fell 7.2% quarter-on-quarter to 7,536 units, while rail freight volumes declined 16.4% to 143,531 tonnes. By contrast, aircraft movements surged 67.6% and passenger traffic climbed 35.8% over the same period.
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The post Transport economy splits in two as tourism aviation surges first appeared on Sunday Standard and is written by Thobo Motlhoka