Africa-Press – Botswana. Players in the tourism sector have been implored to take the lead in raising productivity levels as well as inculcating a world-class service culture.
President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi made the call during the just-ended annual Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) conference that was held in Maun under the theme: Advancing Towards a World Class Tourism Investment Climate to Create Jobs.
He said domestic and international guests at various hotels, lodges, camps and restaurants must be received with Botho and offered impeccable customer service, citing that Vision 2036 enjoined the nation to be passionate about productivity because lack of it affected competitiveness and the prospects of success.
Furthermore, the President said national Vision 2036 also underscored the need for making tough decisions and spelling clear outcomes of sustainable economic development through a coordinated National Transformation Strategy (NTS) that addressed the hitherto endemic problems of implementation of the national development plans.
Central to NTS, he said, was the need for productivity improvement as part of reforms.
President Masisi noted with satisfaction that following the devastating effect of COVID-19, the tourism sector was on a path to recovery citing that according to the International Visitor Arrivals Stats Brief, the country received a total of 248 946 international tourists during the second quarter of 2022.
“These represented 88.2 per cent of total non-citizen arrivals 282 220 the bulk of whom emanated from the SADC sub-region. In-transit tourists represented the highest proportion of tourists, at 47.6 per cent (99 986) followed by business tourists at 19.9 per cent (41 791) of all the tourist arrivals. All we have to do is to maintain the momentum and scale up the performance,” he added.
Dr Masisi implored captains of the industry to re-double their efforts to improve air connectivity as tourism was about the movement of people from one destination to the other.
He acknowledged that the Ethiopian airlines, which already operated Gaborone – Addis Ababa route would be adding the Maun – Addis Ababa route to its schedule with effect from June.
He thanked Ethiopian Airlines for such a decision, saying the move was a welcome and important development for the tourism sector.
The President said government through Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana, (CAAB) was working tirelessly to attract more long-haul carriers to the shores to promote growth of the tourism sector.
“We will also leave no stone unturned to lure back those international airlines, which used to serve the Botswana market but terminated their service due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also working diligently on a re-fleeting plan for Air Botswana in a bid to expand access for and the travel experience of the business traveller, tourists, and other regular passengers,” he said.
Furthermore, Dr Masisi informed the gathering that CAAB was also working on a plan to set up a comfortable lounge at Maun International Airport to enhance the experience of passengers, as well as mitigate congestion.
To promote investment, President Masisi pointed out that a board called Botswana Economic Development Board, to be led by himself was being set up to deal expeditiously with any regulatory bottlenecks and delays, which investors, including those in the tourism sector, encountered from time to time.
The board, he said, would also be charged with attracting investment into Botswana, as well as support efforts to make the investment climate second to none.
He said the proposed board’s work would be informed, among others, by that which Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) was facing problems in executing.
He said the board would also communicate and promote Botswana’s key strengths in the business institutional support, legal and financial eco-system that should enable prospective investors to harness the country’s comparative advantages for global trade.
Dr Masisi said other matters that the board would address included delays in licensing, permits, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approvals and lease concessions to improve security of tenure.
“All this will be done within the context of promoting Botswana as a destination which offers a world class climate for doing business, including tourism. We therefore, envisage that the board will work closely with businesses and regulators to explore opportunities to boost our business environment and support favourable commercial conditions,” he added.
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