04 Mar 2020

Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism will open a satellite tourism office in Bobonong during the 2020/2021 financial year. Answering a question in Parliament on Monday, Minister Phildah Kereng said her ministry had made it a priority to diversify tourism in the Bobirwa sub region by promoting cultural and dam tourism.

She said through Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), her ministry came up with a dams’ tourism initiative, the purpose of which was to unlock the tourism potential of the country’s major dams. Minister Kereng said the initiative included Thune dam in Bobirwa sub region which has an approved and ready to implement Tourism Master Plan.

The implementation of Thune Dam Tourism Master Plan, she said, would create opportunities for communities in Bobirwa sub region and surrounding areas to partake meaningfully in the tourism sector as well as accrue greater benefits from enterprises in the tourism value chain.

She said the tourism value chain included among others the development of curio shops which would promote the purchasing of locally produced arts and crafts, accommodation facilities as well as agro based tourism businesses.

The House was further informed that Bobirwa sub district was at present serviced by Selibe Phikwe tourism office.

The Member of Parliament for Bobonong, Mr Taolo Lucas has asked the Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism to state if she would consider opening a tourism office in the Bobirwa sub region to stimulate tourism development in the area. Mr Lucas had also requested the minister to provide possible timelines within which such could be done.ENDS