Botswana is working on addressing challenges that are negatively affecting the local tourism industry, according to a government official.
Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservations and Tourism, Philda Nani Kereng was quoted by local media as saying the country wants to have a more efficient facilitation of visas, stabilise air access, reposition national parks and game reserves as well as the drive to push the agenda for diversification in tourism.
She said that her ministry had already started engaging several stakeholders towards addressing other obstructions in doing tourism business.
“Our local industry has been exemplary in driving this sector with so much zeal and passion,” said Kereng at the Botswana Travel and Tourism Expo (BTTE) in Kasane.
“Some of you have extended your business beyond just the resource on tourism and contributed to our national conservation agenda, particularly the re-introduction of the charismatic species such as the rhino.”
BTTE started in 2013 and has thus far grown to the extent of extending invitations to countries that operators never initially targeted.
“Harnessing emerging markets while servicing our existing markets is extremely important so as not to lose out on global opportunities,” she said.
“This is the reason why Botswana Tourism Organisation has started to penetrate the Middle East as evidenced by our recent participation at the 2019 Hospitality Qatar Fair. We continue to be steadfast in our efforts to find more opportunities for our local operators across the world.”
Botswana recently maintained its grip in the number one spot as Africa’s best safari country.
The country’s Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert are big drawcards for tourists.
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