16 May 2021

Ideas and proposals from tourism players assist government to shape sustainable solutions towards resuscitating the tourism sector, says chairperson of Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Wildlife, Tourism, Natural Resources and Climate Change, Mr Polson Majaga.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement meeting in Maun recently, Mr Majaga said the COVID-19 pandemic had adversely affected  mining as well as the hospitality, travel and tourism industry.

The parliamentary committee, he said, believed that tourism specialists had a code to crack some of the solutions that could get them moving. 

Mr Majaga said many economies across the world were implementing various strategies to not only boost travelers’ confidence, but also facilitate travel within the new normal.

“We hear of travel bubbles in Australia where restrictions are relaxed for zones that are not threatened by the pandemic. In Europe, we hear of green travel zones where countries are now opening up travel zones and strengthening COVID-19 preventions in order to maintain the green status,” he added.

Mr Majaga underscored the need for tourism operators and stakeholders to propose solutions to help government turn around the industry.

Giving presentation on a tone setting on the COVID-19 impact on tourism, emerging lessons and trends, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Dr Oldman Koboto appreciated that the tourism sector was the largest employer, noting that it absorbed 18 670 employees and contributed significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which stood at P14.5 billion as from 2016.

The sector, he said, had 2 554 registered facilities countrywide. 

When the pandemic outbroke, he said, 80 per cent of the facilities were shutdown resulting in 2 552 employees losing jobs while others were placed on unpaid leaves.

In addition, he said a mini research indicated that 84.6 per cent of tourists were from the SADC region while the rest were from rest of the world.

He said this was an indication that the sector could still make it without depending much on international clientele adding that ‘if we can facilitate regional tourism and harness the 86 per cent we can sustain the industry’.

Dr Koboto urged operators to take advantage of regional infrastructure such as the Kazungula Bridge to attract regional tourism. 

He also informed the gathering that the ministry was at an advanced stage in finalising the KAZA UNIVISA travel initiative, which would enable visitors to travel to any other member state country without acquiring visa. 

The initiative, he said, would also promote regional tourism growth.

The ministry, he said, was also working on proposals submitted by the sector players with regard to COVID-19 vaccination, adding that the sector proposed for procurement of vaccine particularly for prime areas to ensure destinations were much safer.

Dr Koboto noted that the issue was under discussion and hoped it would be approved to benefit areas such as Chobe and Ngamiland among others. 

He also stated that another proposal was on how to ease travel movement for those vaccinated in their countries.

The arrangement of allowing direct flights into tourism destinations was also reported to be working wonders and Dr Koboto noted that even post COVID-19, they would continue with the arrangement as it could spike introduction of direct routes.

For his part a member of Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, Mr Mabuse Pule urged the ministry to consider introducing SADC UNIVISA since it was evident that more income was generated by tourists from the region.

He also called for strategic opening of borders that promoted tourism industry, adding that it was disturbing since borders such as Two Rivers and McCarthy Rust were closed and urged the relevant authority to engage the COVID-19 Task Force to look into the matter.ends