22 Feb 2021

Botswana, through different forums such as the joint permanent cooperation commissions and bilateral commissions, engages partner countries on issues affecting business communities, including tour operators.

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng said charges levied at ports of entries for Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe were decided upon by individual countries. She said Botswana would continue to negotiate for better conditions with the partner countries.

Ms Kereng noted that Botswana was a member of the KAZA TFCA, established to harmonise policies, strategies and legislation for managing shared natural resources that straddled the borders of the four partner states.

She highlighted that the ministries responsible for tourism in all the partner countries engaged each other on issues of mutual interest, including tourism on a regular basis.

“To this end, the partner states have established a number of agreements that govern how travelling and business dealings between the partner countries can be eased,” said Ms Kereng.

She further noted that one of the strategies was the introduction of the UNI – Visa which was meant to ease travel within the four countries.

She said once the UNI – Visa was adopted by all the partner countries, tourists would be able to travel across the partner countries without the need for specific country visas.

Furthermore, she noted that Botswana was currently undertaking internal discussions on the implementation of the Uni-Visa.

Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga had asked the minister if she was aware that tour operators within Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe operated in difficulties, especially through entry points because the charges differed according to different countries.

MP Majaga also asked the minister to consider easing laws of entry regarding the tourism sector for safaris and tourism operating companies through the four countries by engaging other ministers of tourism from the above four countries as per the KAZA agreement. ENDS