30 Jan 2022

Eurowings Discover is expected to revitalise Botswana’s economy, especially in these trying times of COVID-19.

Lufthansa Group’s Southern and East Africa General Manager, Dr Andre Schulz said this when giving a commercial update and announcing of the group’s plans to inaugurate flights to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in Kasane recently.

He said from March 30, Eurowings would fly from Frankfurt via Windhoek to Victoria Falls three times a week, adding that Victoria Falls would be their fifth destination in Africa after Mombasa, Windhoek, Zanzibar and Mauritius. He said Victoria Falls was among the 24 destinations they planned to travel this year alone, stressing that the KAZA region would benefit from this new flight.

Dr Schulz said Eurowings Discover was a new airline, having started in July 2021.

He said focused on leisure and it would bring tourists to Botswana.

He said they considered Victoria Falls for now and were looking forward to bringing another flight that would pass through Botswana in the near future.

He urged the four countries of Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe to work together to benefit from the development.

In an interview with BOPA,  Cresta Mowana Safari Resort General Manager, Ms Carol White said they stood to benefit from the development.

She urged countries, especially those near Botswana, to open their borders to allow more tourists into Botswana.
Chobe Tourism Marketing Chief Executive Officer, Ms Wapula Matshambane, was also delighted with the development, saying the new flight would create new job opportunities in the country and bring more customers from the European market.

Ms Matshambane said Europe was their target market, adding that they were working with KAZA conservation as well as aviator and were also looking forward to working with international airlines.

She said the development would benefit Botswana as the big aircraft would land at Victoria Falls, from where their small shuttles would ferry clients coming to Botswana, while Air Botswana could then fly them from Kasane via Maun to Gaborone.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Botswana Guides Association, Mr Peace Shamuka said this was a welcome development.

He said it would not only be cost effective to travel to Victoria Falls to collect clients, but the development would help ease the COVID-19 devastation on their industry.

He urged the Lufthansa group to add Chobe to its destinations in the near future. ENDS