Africa-Press – Botswana. Mashatu Game Reserves’ latest accommodation offering, the P60 million Mashatu Euphorbia Villas, was officially opened yesterday.
Performing the official opening of the proposed five star hotel, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said it would attract high net worth international clientele and promote eastern Botswana as a premier tourist destination.
“From two lodges in 2020 to six in 2023, constructed during one of the toughest economic period the world has ever experienced, these developments clearly demonstrate the determination and desire of Mashatu to invest in Botswana,” he said.
Dr Masisi noted that the Mashatu investments had provided 280 permanent jobs, 97 per cent of them occupied by Batswana.
The President spoke of government’s efforts to grow the tourism industry through the facilitation of endeavours such as the one undertaken by Mashatu.
The aim was to increase the tourism sector’s contribution to GDP, currently standing at 2.1 per cent, he said.
Stressing the need to diversify tourism in order to provide economic growth and employment opportunities for local communities, President Masisi said game farming had been identified as an aspect of agro-tourism.
In addition, five concessions in the Okavango Delta had been reserved for 100 per cent citizen-owned companies, joint ventures and consortia, the President said.
Turning to the Dams Tourism Initiative, he urged the Mashatu management to support establishments expected to soon emerge at Thune Dam.
“The support can be explored by identifying events to facilitate tourism growth through the establishment of tourism routes linking the archaeological/heritage sites and other attractions within Bobirwa and the anticipated developments at Thune Dam,” he suggested.
President Masisi commended Mashatu’s efforts towards the development and promotion of the tourism value chain citing contributions to Motlhabaneng’s Tsatsi Le Eta Basketry Group and Lentswe le Moriti’s Bathani Women Group.
The two groups had in the past six months supplied Mashatu curio shops with P50 000 worth of crafts, he noted.
President Masisi also expressed appreciation for Mashatu guests’ community visits to Motlhabaneng which saw a minimum of two guests paying US$80 with 50 per cent donated to Motlhabaneng Village Development Committee.
Another commendation was for supporting #PushaBW by sourcing 90 per cent of its supplies locally at an estimated cost of P700 000 per month.
The President advised Mashatu to pursue accreditation for the area to be recognised as a green tourism destination and to develop plans for promoting the boundless travel intended by the conservation initiative between Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe in the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Perched high on the edge of a cliff, Mashatu Euphorbia Villas accommodates 16 guests in eight luxury villas.
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