23 Mar 2015

Phiri Tourism Consortium in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism have found a niche to develop and take the tourism industry further by closing existing gaps in the industry.

Phiri Tourism Consortium is a youth owned company, which manages Bona Botswana tourism project that aims at selling and marketing Botswana as well as provides a platform for Batswana to benefit from tourism.

The company has come up with different tourism packages that will be offered under various media and platforms. The packages will benefit Batswana and market Botswana Tourism locally and internationally.

Speaking at Bona Botswana tourism environmental conservation workshop in Molepolole, the managing director of Phiri Tourism Consortium, Mr Tebogo Phiri, said the packages included Bona Botswana TV series. The TV series comprised of 13 episodes dedicated to showcase the various tourist attractions and heritage sites throughout the country.

It is expected to market the tourism industry to Batswana and beyond the borders. The television series will hit local screens in May and there will also be Bona Botswana BQA radio show. 

The radio programme will start airing on RB2 first week of April. The radio show will complement the TV series.

The programme will run for a 12 month period from 1415 to 1430 hours every day and it will feature interviews of people within the tourism sector, covering conservation issues, cultural tourism as well as promoting quality within the industry.

Other packages include Bona Botswana magazine, mobile application, travel and tours, and tourism environmental conservation workshops.
The Bona Botswana tourism team will be going around the country conducting workshops that are geared towards promoting the tourism beneficiation and environmental conservation agenda while effectively disseminating information on global warming and various mitigation measures that could be taken.

Mr Phiri said that tourism as the second revenue earner after diamonds; all benefits that could come from the industry should benefit Batswana.

He underscored that opportunities and platforms availed by the industry would therefore “assist the government and our people to sell the country.”

A community member, Ms Joyce Sengate has congratulated the pair for having ventured into tourism. She said that the travel packages would go a long way to educate Batswana that tourism is not for foreigners only. “If carried and managed well, the project will demystify this myth that tourism is for white people,” she said.

Ms Sengate further advised that the packages should not be geared towards one segment of customers but rather be inclusive. She raised a concern that a lot of companies start with enthusiasm and end up dying a slow death.

“Understand your company’s assets versus liabilities so that your business grows,” she added.
Mr Power Kawina from kgosi Sechele 1 museum said the project came at the right time because lately there had been a lot of cultural activities taking place, adding that through Bona Botswana tourism project, the events based tourism activities could be packaged together and be sold to the international community.

Mr Kawina also urged the Bona Botswana team to work closely with Kweneng District Council and turn the district into a tourism hub for they have long awaited a project of this nature.

Gaborone heritage trail has been finalised for the television series and the second leg of the project will commence in Kweneng and its heritage sites. 

The television series will air on Botswana television as well as Good morning Africa television programme on DSTV. ENDS