04 Dec 2014

The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MEWT), Mr Tshekedi Khama says perceptions about Ebola remain a big challenge facing Botswana’s tourism industry.

Speaking at the official opening of the Botswana Travel and Tourism Expo (BTTE) in Kasane on Tuesday, December 2, Minister Khama said just because some countries in Africa had been affected by the Ebola virus did not mean that the rest of the continent has. 

He noted that of late, African countries had decried decreasing income from tourism as more travellers cancel their trips to Africa in fear of the Ebola virus. 

“But I want to remind you Europeans that in some cases, you live closer to the virus than we do,” he said to the gathering consisting mainly of Europeans.

Minister Khama noted that the issue needed proper education  especially in explaining the steps Botswana had taken to remain Ebola-free.

Another challenge, Mr Khama observed, was air access, noting that neighboring countries were busy delivering big airport hubs, and as such Botswana was always seen to be the follow on destination and sometimes not the prime. 

“It is up to Botswana to make sure people have access to Botswana and that will certainly be done,” Minister Khama noted. 

He said at a forum he attended recently in Australia, he concluded that Botswana was years ahead of other countries as far as anti-poaching was concerned, compared to countries that had better resources and fewer animals. 

“We will not win every time but we certainly will not lose,” he emphasised. 

Mr Khama noted that poaching could be stopped by cutting the supply chain because it was Africans themselves who carry out poaching activities. 

The minister further emphasised Botswana’s stand on conservation and sustainability. 

In addition, he said as they market the country, he wanted them not only to market the destination but to also market a belief, a commitment to environmental sustainability and the idea of a government that buys into the conservation of nature.

He alluded to the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) policy, which he said ensured that every Motswana in a community that had tourism derives something from tourists’ visits as well as encouraging citizen participation. 

Minister Khama also urged European tour operators to look at Botswana holistically and understand everything that the country had to offer. 

He admitted that the country had been negligent in developing the prime areas first, but added that the country was now consciously marketing the more marginal areas like Makgadikgadi Pans and Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). 

Special interest travel, Mr Khama noted, was emerging as one of the most increasing trends as people become more sophisticated. 

Mr Khama added that they intended to use the BTTE platform to enquire from the tour operators as to what other emerging trends were in order to customise Botswana’s tourism packages to retain and increase the country’s market share in the tourism industry. 

“The only thing that will ever inhibit us from progressing would be the lack of our imagination but I think since you got here you have seen that our imagination is very big,” he said. 

The expo is in its second leg having been launched last year and its objective is to create a platform, which can enable overseas tour operators from key source market to have face to face business dialogue with local industry players.

This is for an atmosphere conducive for mutual understanding between the two sets of operators and for building enduring relationships. Europe contributes the largest share of inbound tourism arrivals in Botswana. ENDS