{"id":65808,"date":"2025-03-22T19:23:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T19:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism"},"modified":"2025-04-28T06:47:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T06:47:37","slug":"a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism","title":{"rendered":"A Wild Year Ahead: Wilderness Charts a Bold Path for Tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. <\/strong><\/span>At Wilderness, we changed the mindset from \u2018we can\u2019t\u2019 to \u2018can\u2019t we?\u2019\u201d said Kabelo Binns on the comprehensive impact of OWS at the company\u2019s annual stakeholder event held in Gaborone recently where the essential message was that there is something for everyone at the world\u2019s most famous delta<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ready for a wild year?\u201d This was a fitting preview of the Okavango Wilderness Safaris\u2019 (OWS) bold vision for 2025 that was unveiled at the company\u2019s annual stakeholder event in Gaborone recently.<\/p>\n

The gathering brought together cabinet ministers, partners, industry leaders, and the media to reflect on OWS\u2019s transformative contributions to conservation, community upliftment and sustainable tourism while setting the stage for an ambitious future.<\/p>\n

Children in the Wilderness<\/p>\n

The CEO of HATAB, Lily Rakorong, praised OWS\u2019s long-standing contributions, noting that the company has been at the forefront of Botswana\u2019s tourism sector since the early 1980s.<\/p>\n

She highlighted Children in the Wilderness, a programme that has become a true testament to tourism as a tool for development, shaping future conservationists and empowering local communities. Rakorong emphasised that OWS\u2019s growth from mobile safaris to luxury camps reflects the industry\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n

However, she urged expansion beyond Chobe and Ngami districts into Gantsi and Kgalagadi as regions with untapped tourism potential. \u201cTourism can provide the much-needed jobs that Botswana requires,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Diamonds in the Okavango<\/p>\n

The Chairman of the OWS Board, Kabelo Binns, reinforced the enduring power of tourism, likening Botswana\u2019s natural beauty to diamonds in the Okavango \u2013 valuable, sustainable and scalable.<\/p>\n

He addressed the misconception that the Delta is inaccessible, stating: \u201cThere is something for everybody. Our properties cater for all, from budget-conscious travellers to luxury seekers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Binns also reflected on OWS\u2019s commitment to communities, particularly during COVID-19 when the company had no revenue but still provided over 50,000 food hampers per month to struggling villages.<\/p>\n

OWS has also tackled drought relief, built schools and empowered local farmers, shifting the industry landscape. \u201cA decade ago, most of our guides, pilots, and managers were not Batswana,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

From \u201cwe can\u2019t\u201d to \u201ccan\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, our entire guiding team and all our general managers are locals. We even have female pilots. Who says we can\u2019t? At Wilderness, we changed the mindset from \u2018we can\u2019t\u2019 to \u2018can\u2019t we?\u2019 and the industry has followed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caretaker Managing Director Joe Matome reaffirmed OWS\u2019s commitment to creating a lasting impact, driven by its three core pillars of Educate, Empower and Protect.<\/p>\n

As OWS gears up for an exciting year ahead, its focus remains clear: to redefine sustainable tourism, uplift communities, and ensure that Botswana\u2019s natural wonders remain accessible for generations to come.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Botswana<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. At Wilderness, we changed the mindset from \u2018we can\u2019t\u2019 to \u2018can\u2019t we?\u2019\u201d said Kabelo Binns on the comprehensive impact of OWS at the company\u2019s annual stakeholder event held in Gaborone recently where the essential message was that there is something for everyone at the world\u2019s most famous delta \u201cAre you ready for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":65807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-65808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","tag-botswana"],"yoast_head":"\nA Wild Year Ahead: Wilderness Charts a Bold Path for Tourism - Botswana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At Wilderness, we changed the mindset from \u2018we can\u2019t\u2019 to \u2018can\u2019t we?\u2019\u201d said Kabelo Binns on the comprehensive impact o ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Wild Year Ahead: Wilderness Charts a Bold Path for Tourism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At Wilderness, we changed the mindset from \u2018we can\u2019t\u2019 to \u2018can\u2019t we?\u2019\u201d said Kabelo Binns on the comprehensive impact o ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Botswana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-22T19:23:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-28T06:47:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2025\/03\/sm_1742659635.168294.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"A Wild Year Ahead: Wilderness Charts a Bold Path for Tourism\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-22T19:23:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-28T06:47:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism\"},\"wordCount\":475,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2025\/03\/sm_1742659635.168294.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Botswana\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"culture and art\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/a-wild-year-ahead-wilderness-charts-a-bold-path-for-tourism\",\"name\":\"A Wild Year Ahead: Wilderness Charts a Bold Path for Tourism - 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