09 Jun 2021

The Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng says most of the domestic guest houses across the country are compliant with COVID-19 protocols.

Speaking after touring three guest houses in Francistown on Tuesday, Minister Kereng said, ‘no domestic guest houses have ever closed because of the pandemic and this is a sign of compliance as compared to hotels’. She explained that all the three guest houses she visited, La Signature Lodge in New Coloured Stance, Marico Lodge in Block 8 and City Square Lodge in Block three were clean and up to acceptable standard. 

The guest houses, she said, had availed hands sanitisers and had come up with strategies of containing the disease that included using open spaces to promote social distancing. 

Ms Kereng explained that another strategy that guest houses used to help prevent the spread of the virus was rotating clients during lunch time.

 “You can see that this is a resilient sector which has never closed due to the pandemic.

I am also happy that some of these guest houses have adopted new marketing strategies such as the use of technologies so that they continue to attract more clients to avoid closing,” she added. She thanked the owners of the guest houses for having heeded the government’s call to assist with accommodation as their guest houses were once turned into isolation centres.

Meanwhile, the owner and managing director of Marico Guesthouse, Ms Kesetse Zwinila said COVID-19 affected her business badly because she used to rely on workshops, which have some quick returns as compared to accommodation.

However, she said things were becoming better as she was beginning to receive clients in her guest house that has got six rooms and small conference centre.

For her part, City Square Lodge assistant manager, Ms Kamogelo Kgokgonyana said in an interview that the 10-roomed lodge which is 100 per cent citizen owned has employed 10 people, all being locals.

These include grounds men, house keepers, front desk officers and security guards; she said adding that since the outbreak of the pandemic, the lodge never retrenched a single employee.

The purpose of the minister’s visit was to get firsthand information on how guest houses were operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ends