07 Dec 2021

Botswana experienced an increase in international tourists arrivals over the past few months due to a decline in COVID-19 cases, North West District Council chairperson, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotho said Monday.

Addressing a full council meeting on Monday, he said as a tourism hub, the district  was prompted to move swiftly to vaccinate the tourism frontliners. 

Councillor Ntsogotho stated that Ngami DHMT in collaboration with a Ngami HATAB team  embarked on a COVID-19 vaccination campaign beginning September 24 targetting tourists and tourism industry workers.

The chairperson said DHMT managed to visit all 73 camps and vaccinated more than 4 500 tourism industry clients in Maun and surrounding villages and a further 73 camps within the Okavango Delta.

In an effort to augment resources, HATAB hired five nurses and provided logistical as well as administrative support, transport including air transportation, meals and accommodation for all  vaccination teams moving from camp to camp to administer vaccines, he said.

Mr Ntsogotho stated that communities and settlements within tourism areas were also vaccinated with a total of 475 vaccinations administered at Goruku, Ditshiping, Daonara, Quxau, Goruku, Xharaxao, Tsutsubega, Gogomoga, Mochaba, Morutsha, Gabamochaa and Xababa.

In addition, Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) had embarked on a marketing and promotional county-wide tour themed “Botswana Live” to provide travellers with an experience and insights of Botswana as a tourist destination, he said.

He explained that the tour presented an opportunity to effectively package Botswana with the purpose  of capturing, inspiring and enticing travellers as well as ensuring the destination’s presence in the global space.

Councilor Ntsogotho revealed that BTO had extended an invitation to four North West District community-based organisations comprising Khwai Development Trust, Sankuyo Tshwaragano Management Trust, Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust and Mababe Zokotshama Community Development Trust to participate in the Dubai Expo next month.

That, he said, would give the organisations a platform to network with global agents, showcase their products to the world and create opportunities to liaise with agents directly in terms of marketing. BOPA