13 Sep 2022

Tourism businesses in the North West district are reportedly bouncing back as markets are gradually being restored to pre-COVID-19 state.

Updating councillors on the tourism status in the district, the council chairperson, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho said companies had reopened camps and lodges in anticipation of the recovery.

He said tourism enterprises, especially pre-booked operators, were currently servicing clients with bookings that were postponed at the onset of the pandemic. Mr Ntsogotlho revealed that a number of categories had grown significantly as at December 2020 to September 1 2022, as per the Tourism Industry Licensing System (TOLIS).

He said these included category A, that comprises of guest houses, hotels, self-catering and campsites, which had increased from 85 to 93; category B (safari lodges and camps from 144 to 159, category C (mobile safaris reserved for citizen individuals and companies from 185 to 337 and category D, which covers travel agents for localised travel, which increased from 109 to 211.

Other categories that have recorded increase were E, F, H, J and L among others. Category E comprised of transfers-reserved for citizen individual and companies, F for motor boats reserved for citizen individual and companies, H for mokoro reserved for citizen individual and companies, while category J and L catered for house boat and travel agent for foreign travel.

Mr Ntsogotlho said despite the increase in some categories, room occupancy recorded a negative occupancy in the low season months of January, February and March 2022. The non-resident market, he said was realising exceptional recovery, especially the high end markets, mostly postponed bookings from COVID-19 period.

 On the other hand, he noted that bed occupancy on in-bound tourism had improved due to reduced COVID-19 restrictions, opening up both postponed travel and new bookings in the international markets.

The chairperson said revenue turnover from accommodation employment also showed an increase during the tourism peak season months of January to July 2022, with growth from P9 million to over P26 million, with the month of May showing the highest growth. Mr Ntsogotlho also appreciated that some co-operatives had been resuscitated. He said in addition to Sepopa branch, which was the only operational branch, the cooperative regional officer had managed to re-open Seronga, Etsha 6 and Nokaneng branches of the Etsha Multipurpose Co-operative Society.

He said properties for the Gumare branch remain rented out, adding that to date, total employment created from this revival process was 22.

Furthermore, he acknowledged that the office also facilitated the re-opening of Tsau branch, which he said shifted from supermarket to provision of building materials, taking on-board, the current market needs. Mr Ntsogotlho noted that the co-operative had currently employed one person as the cashier, adding that the sales were also promising due to unavailability of hardware in the area. The house was also informed that a youth co-operative - the Imela Farms Co-operative Society, had acquired a farm at Samedupi with the intention to start a horticultural project using hydroponics system.

However, the co-operative is reported to be facing a challenge of salty water from its borehole, hence relying on sourcing alternative water, which is costly.

Mr Ntsogotlho said that the co-operative was still sourcing funds for water desalination, adding that despite the challenge, “it is worth to mention that there has been a great supply of lettuce and cucumber and there are plans to expand production by including green pepper and tomatoes”.

Another co-operative society, Matute-a-Mongongo at Shakawe, is also reported to have secured funding to the tune of over P600 000, from Global Environmental Facility Small Grant Programme.

The project is aimed at production of cooking oil, cosmetics and animal feed from the indigenous Mongongo tree fruits. Mr Ntsogotlho said the projects were expected to bring sustainable economic impact to the members and communities in which they operate.  ENDS