24 Sep 2015

In an evening packed with a rich display of culture as part of World Tourism Day celebrations at Botswana National Museum on Wednesday,  the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Felix Mongae said cultural tourism should be nurtured to enable tourism to flourish.

The cultural night, which was held at a kgotla under the tag line ‘one billion tourists, one billion opportunities,’ attracted nations from other countries such as Japan, Kenya and Zimbabwe who showcased their cultures through dance, music, fashion art and food. Mongae said such splendid display of culture created opportunities for Batswana.

He emphasised the need for locals to tour their own country, adding that events such as the upcoming Makgadikgadi epic in October 2-4 were created for tourists to enjoy.

In an interview, the director of tourism, Kelebaone Maselesele said the event was meant to celebrate diversity of cultures as well as encourage Batswana to appreciate their cultures. 

She said the event presented opportunities for musicians and artists to showcase their talent. 

She also said there was need to celebrate culture as it adds substantive value to enhance tourism, adding that culture could be the backbone of tourism and create opportunities for those in the business of selling culture.

Speaking at the event, historian Rogers Molefhi said there was need for Batswana to embrace their culture and be proud of it and not be lost in cosmopolitan lifestyles. He said maintaining originality and knowing who we were and where we come from was critical to the preservation of culture  Ends