20 Jul 2016

Culture can be used as a tool to promote cultural tourism and as a springboard to diversify the economy, programmes coordinator for north region in the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, Jacob Sekgoni has said.

Speaking at Makgadikgadi Epic cultural night in Nata over the holidays, Sekgoni said Botswana was not only rich in flora and fauna, but also in cultures that could be used to market the country as a tourist destination.

To exploit such opportunity, he said they had taken a deliberate decision to repackage various cultural festival/activities around the country to make them more appealing to both local and international tourists.

He pointed out that the aim was to integrate some aspects of cultural activities into all the big events in efforts to stimulate cultural tourism.

In doing so, the coordinator said they had partnered with Botswana Tourism Organisation to attract tourists through various activities.

Sekgoni said such activities would not be limited to identified areas but would also spread to other parts of the country where they could leverage on existing natural resources.

He urged artists to up their game, noting that performance must be punctuated with dexterity and excellence to ensure that the customers get value for their money.

“If we do this we will truly celebrate our 50 years of independence with unity and pride,” he pointed out.

The area MP, Polson Majaga implored the youth to participate in cultural activities in large numbers and put more efforts behind their work.

Nata chief, Kgosi Letsogo Kgaswe said the youth should be prepared to take the baton to the next 50 years.

He encouraged the youth to benchmark from the elderly and to attend kgotla meetings. ENDS