23 Apr 2023

Local hotels and lodges are anticipating to benefit from the Botswana Golden Grand Prix billed for the National Stadium on April 29.

In an interview, River Ridge Lodge supervisor,  Ms Tlotlo Phoga said even though they did not have details about the event, such was an opportunity for the local lodges and hotels to cash from bookings.

“At the moment we have not received bookings locally or international but we are hoping that customers will soon book because there is still time and they have a culture of late bookings,” Phoga said.

She added that the lodge which was registered with one of the world’s largest travel market places Booking.com and also close to the stadium where the event would be hosted, they also had not received any booking requests that indicated that the visit was for the Grand Prix.

Falcon Guest House manager, Ms Irena Andrijevic said the Botswana Golden Grand Prix had the potential to boost the tourism sector however she was not certain that an event of such a great magnitude was marketed enough.

Ms Andrijevic said even though they were also a few kilometres away from the stadium and would have loved to host those who would be attending the event, their facility was already fully booked on the day.

“These bookings were from our normal customers and no one has indicated that they will be attending the Grand Prix marathon. The 2023 Botswana Golden Grand Prix is a world class event I wish that there were adverts all over town for everyone to see and be part of it,” she said.

Conversely, she said she had already bought the ticket and would be attending the marathon and was excited that she would have the opportunity to see world class athletes in the likes of Marvin Bracy and fellow American, Kenny Bednarek, among others, who are expected to participate at the event.

Meanwhile, the Botswana Golden Grand Prix is one of the only two World Athletics Continental Tour Gold events that had been approved to be hosted in Africa with the other being the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya. ends