13 Aug 2017

The Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development Kefentse Mzwinila says local tourism product can be diversified through sport tourism.

Mzwinila told Parliament on Thursday that sport tourism had the ability to diversify economic development and create economic opportunities for young people.

He said sport tourism events, unlike seasonal normal tourism product which fluctuated between the rainy and winter seasons, could be arranged all year round.

“The impact of sport tourism and specifically of hosting major sporting events such as Toyota 1000km Desert Race, Diacore Marathon, Khawa Dune Challenge, Mascom Derby and the recent Netball World Youth Cup, positions the country as a destination of choice for sport tourism and this brings economic benefit to the nation,” he said.

He said youth and Batswana in general had the opportunity to engage in services offered by sport tourism industry, including information services, catering, travel and tours, event marketing and management.

He said his ministry had not directly invested in any sport infrastructure development in Kasane due to budgetary constraints.

Chobe MP Mr Machana Shamukuni had asked the assistant minister to explain the impact sport tourism would have on tourism product diversification, economic development and creation of economic opportunities for young people.

He also asked the assistant minister to state basic sports infrastructure investment his ministry had made in Kasane geared at sports development. BOPA