Africa-Press – Botswana. The newly opened Grays Eden Sanctuary Boutique hotel will entice tourists to spend some days in Maun to experience what the area offers, Kgosi Tawana II has said.
Welcoming guests during the grand opening of the facility on Saturday, Kgosi Tawana II said the district leadership and the community had long wanted some products that would attract tourists to stay in Maun before flying into the famous Okavango Delta as well as to contribute to the local economy.
He said Maun was well known as the gateway to the delta, and that it was the only benefit that residents enjoyed. “It has taken a long time to realise a facility like this and tourists have been flying in and out of the delta to their respective countries without enjoying the diverse culture of our communities.
Now we have a magnificent facility for sleep over before traversing the delta and going back,” he added. The facility is strategically located to accommodate those who would be going for safari day trips or mokoro trips into the delta.
It will also providing an opportunity for travelers to experience what Maun offered in terms of tourism products while at the same time supporting local businesses through buying of different products. He stressed the need to have more of high-end facilities in Maun and in the delta to accommodate the flow of tourists.
Making remarks on behalf of the minister of Environment and Tourism, the assistant minister of Education and Skills Development, Honourable Nnaniki Makwinja said the facility would not only offer world-class amenities but would also help to profile Botswana as a prime tourism destination.
She thanked the country’s leadership unwavering support to the tourism industry, adding that the ministry would continue to drive the tourism sector to greater heights and position Botswana as destination of choice for visitors.
“This hotel that is being opened today will go a long way in establishing Maun as a destination by itself as more tourists will now spend more time here before departing for the delta and other wilderness camps,” she added.
Ms Makwinja also noted that such initiatives aligned perfectly with the government’s Reset Agenda, which aimed to assist the tourism industry to recover and achieve the development aspirations as outlined in the National Vision 2036 and the Eleventh National Development Plan (NDP11).
Moreover, such endeavor, she said, aligned with the Tourism Policy of 2021, which identifies key areas to foster tourism growth in Botswana and thus include increasing tourism’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), diversifying the tourism base to extend visitors’ stays, promoting various forms of tourism, and developing investment opportunities and value chains within the sector.
In recent years, she said, tourism sector faced numerous challenges which also revealed opportunities for innovation and growth. She said that supported by the government, the opening of such facilities stood as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the industry. Ms Makwinja thanked the owners of the facility and wished it to thrive and to inspire others in the industry.
The facility is a partnership between the owners Sam and Sandrine Morris and Ker &Downey Botswana, a subsidiary of Chobe Holdings Company. Chobe Holdings Company chief executive officer, Mr John Gibson said their organisation formed part of Maun as it was the only listed entity, which its headquarters were based in Maun and employing over 1 000 staff members.
He thanked the owners of the establishment for their dedication and hard work to bringing their dream to life, adding that they had created a product that was competitive. Through collaboration, he said, they could change things for the better for the benefit of the community and the country at large.
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