Rediscover Botswana gains momentum
An avid traveller and media personality, Sonny Serite says Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) expedition dubbed Rediscover Botswana meant to promote domestic tourism, is already bearing fruits. Serite, who is accompanied by another media personality, Tlhalefang Charles, are currently crisscrossing the country to unearth its tourist attractions and heritage sites and to raise awareness about the country’s tourism product offering.
Speaking in an interview after arriving in Francistown over the weekend, Serite said Botswana was rich in tourist attractionsand heritage sites and if managed properly, domestic tourism could grow the economy and create employment for young Batswana. He dismissed perceptions by many Batswana that travelling in Botswana was only for foreign tourists, saying there were subsidised prices for locals. “What we only need is accurate information and change in our mindset,” he said, adding that the objective of the expedition was to demystify the notion that tourism was only for foreign tourists.
For his part, Charles explained that the expedition was an exciting adventure, which had triggered a growing number of locals who have begun to travel for leisure using their own vehicles.He said travelling in Botswana was very affordable for locals but it required proper planning. In his remarks at the welcome ceremony for the duo, Francistown mayor, Godisang Radisigo said the second city, as the gateway to Africa, had a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions and heritage sites.
He cited the Nyangabgwe Hill, which was not only the home of an annual cultural and music festival but had given its name to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital. The mayor explained that other tourist attraction was the Kenneth Nkhwa interchange, commonly known as Spaghetti, which aims to boost regional trade. Radisigo said the Blue Jacket Street was one of the streets that define the city of Francistown, saying the street had made the second city, a famous town in the SADC region.
He explained that tourism, which was the new engine of economic growth in Botswana, had contributed significantly to the growth of the economy, hence the need to invest more on it. Thus, he said Francistown was willing to work hand in hand with Botswana Tourism Organisation in the development of the tourism sector in the city.
He said the outbreak of COVID-19 had posed a serious threat to the economic development of many countries and supporting locally produced goods would be a welcome development. In this regard, Radisigo implored Batswana to fully support the informal sector because it also contributed to the economic development of the country by providing self-employment.
He advised that even after the state of emergency, Batswana should continue observing COVID-19 protocols, saying the disease posed a serious threat to human kind. He thanked the two personalities for being true ambassadors of their country, adding that the time they had devoted to the campaign, despite their busy schedules, was something that could not be overemphasised.
Botswana Investment and Trade Centre Director - Business Services, Gaorekwe Gaorekwe said the 8000km expedition by the two media personalities, was the best and first of its kind to be undertaken in Botswana. “The impact is great and we take pride in this campaign, which is aimed at boosting domestic tourism,” he added. He, therefore, appealed to Batswana to support and promote the campaign, which would at the end, benefit the whole nation.
He explained that history of Francistown could be traced as far back as the 1920s, when gold was first discovered, adding that history had it that Johannesburg in South Africa, was what it is because of the gold rush in Francistown. Gaorekwe further stated that the Kenneth Nkhwa interchange was one of the sites that played a major role in promoting regional trade, as it connected Botswana to four countries and 300 million people.
He therefore implored Batswana to take advantage of the commerce of the interchange for sustainable development. From Francistown, the team would travel to Tuli Block, Goo-Moremi, Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Shoshong, Khutse Game Reserve and back to Matsieng Creation Site, where the journey started.
The expedition has seen the team traversing the scenic sand dunes and salt pans of the Kgalagadi, which they described as gems, waiting to be explored.
