Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana is set to enjoy optimal benefits from the newly launched Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) Tourism Destination Brand.
In an interview after the launch of the initiative on the sidelines of the ongoing KAZA Heads of State Summit in Livingstone, Zambia, KAZA Executive Director Dr Nyambe Nyambe said the newly launched brand was a marketing strategy that was meant to establish the area as a single destination.
He highlighted that the tourism destination brand had been under the development and guidance of all the five member states but had now established a single entity for the region.
“It is a new way of marketing our identity brand and led by national tourism organisations. Entities such as the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) and all member states will have an opportunity to co-brand with KAZA and market as a single brand for global benefits and regional opportunities,” he said.
Dr Nyambe said such development would facilitate easy access and travel within the area and market KAZA as a single entity.
Since its establishment in 2011, the KAZA secretariat faced a mammoth task of establishing a solid strategic plan to work across boundaries with all its partner states to drive their mandate and Dr Nyambe explained that after harmonising strategies, the destination brand initiative arrived at the right time.
He said establishing the brand had been an excellent job that had been robust and showed determination and importance that could be attached to establishing partnerships and consultations.
He said through the guidance of the KAZA Treaty, the secretariat had managed to achieve its objectives through stakeholder engagements, planning across sectors and implementation of priority projects.
After signing the pledge, ministers from all the participating member states highlighted that the brand initiative was the result of an engaging process that took approximately 18 months to come to fruition. Botswana’s acting Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja, applauded all those who participated in developing a marvellous tool for the KAZA.
She appealed to all the stakeholders to sell the brand globally so that it brings the desired developments in the area.
The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism for Namibia, Mr Pohamba Shifeta, said the KAZA as the largest conservation area in the world deserved a brand that reflected its global status. He said it was incumbent upon stakeholders to make the world aware of the trademark.
Zambian tourism minister, Mr Rodney Sikumba, said it was long overdue for member states to develop the single brand and grow it into the future. He said it was a daring experience that the world had to know about.
The KAZA tourism destination brand pledges to support the idea of tourism without borders by realising the vision of the brand, which is to see the KAZA as a well-known and valued destination actively promoted by the tourism trade and appreciated by local stakeholders who could measurably see the benefits of both conservation and tourism.
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