25 Sep 2014

 Residents of Ncojane in Ghanzi District have been advised to form a community -based trust so as to improve their lives.

Speaking at the commemoration of World Tourism Day commemoration in Ncojane, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Christiaan De Graaff said tourism was people-based and built on social interaction. He added that tourism could only prosper if it engaged the local population.

The minister noted that World Tourism Day was an annual worldwide event observed by all member countries of the United Nations World Tourism Organiation (UNWTO). He noted that Botswana, as a member of the organisation, had observed the day since 1998. 

He added that the aim of the day was to create awareness amongst the public about tourism and its importance to the economic development of the country. This year the World Tourism Day was commemorated under the theme: Tourism and Community Development.

Minister De Graaff said the theme underscored the potential of tourism in promoting opportunities for communities around the world as well as the role that communities had in advancing sustainable tourism development. He added that the theme drew attention to the role of tourism in contributing to a more sustainable future for communities.

He said tourism could only prosper if it engaged the local population and contributed to social values such as participation, education and enhanced local governance.  The United Nations World Tourism Organiation said tourism represented nine per cent of global GDP, employed one in 11 jobs worldwide and was key revenue earner for developing and emerging economies such as Botswana. 

The minister noted that tourism was the second largest contributor to GDP in Botswana, adding that it contributed about P5.2 billion in the last financial year. Mr De Graaff also noted that the government, through the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, had developed a Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) policy.

He said the goal of the policy was to create a foundation for conservation-based development in which the need to protect biodiversity and ecosystems was balanced with the need to improve rural livelihoods and reduce poverty.

The minister noted that all the four community-based organisations in Ghanzi District were not doing well. He said their challenges included lack of capital, poor administration/management of financial resources, weak leadership and limited business acumen.

 He encouraged the district leadership and CBO leaders to engage districts such as Chobe and Ngamiland who were doing well through benchmarking exercises. He also encouraged residents to come up with business ideas which would add value to the environment, create employment, support the local economy and reduce poverty in Ghanzi district. ends