31 Jan 2021

To boost local tourism, government has provided over P200 million for an interest-free loan for tourism industry facilities.

This was said by Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism Ms Philda Kereng when answering a question at Ntlo ya Dikgosi session on January 29.

“The loan will be administered by the National Development Bank,” she said.

Ms Kereng noted that the loan would be accessed by tourism businesses that had been in operation from 2019, regardless of size.

She further noted that the loan was intended to primarily finance operating costs and working capital, refurbishments and reconfiguration of structures for social distancing.

Ms Kereng said government had provided a wage subsidy from April to June 2020, which covered the tourism industry.

She further said the ministry had advocated for and secured the extended wage subsidy for the tourism sector by a further six months from July up to December 2020. Ms Kereng said her ministry had embarked on a domestic travel campaign with the objective to educate, increase destination and product knowledge among citizens.

“Through this campaign, there was an increase in the volume of local arrivals at destinations mainly in the Ngamiland area,” she added. 

Ms Kereng noted that there was an increase in revenue from local travel and reduced seasonality effects. She noted that the growth of domestic travel kept the sector going while at the same time empowering Batswana to know and be passionate about Botswana as a destination.

Ms Kereng further said the ministry had been proactive with strategies to cushion the tourism sector, inclusive of the North West District amidst the challenges brought about by COVID-19.

She further said efforts were aimed at providing monetary interventions to protect and cushion existing tourism businesses through maintenance of liquidity and capital preservation to enable the sector to continue supporting the economy, post COVID-19.

“We intended to stimulate domestic tourism and maintenance presence on the international market,” she said.

She said their interventions were aimed at protecting and growing the employment sector, grow citizen investment in the sector as well as continue supporting the tourism value chain.

Minister Kereng said her ministry had also developed Tourism Industry COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)  that were vetted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

“The SOPs outline the generic best practice guidelines and protocols for the prevention and preparedness of detection to and response to suspected cases of the Novel Corona Virus within the tourism industry of Botswana,” she said.

She further said through SOPs, the ministry, in partnership with the industry, endeavours to protect health and welfare of the people and all the employees in the tourism industry, while maintaining travellers and guest confidence to safeguard the operation of the sector.

Minister Kereng was answering a question by Specially Elected Kgosi Oateng Setlhodi, who wanted the minister to apprise the house on the plans to resuscitate the tourism sector in the Northern West District. Ends