Bahamas PM sees ecotourism as game-changer for Botswana
Mbongeni Mguni | Tuesday March 26, 2024 06:00
The Bahamas, with a population of just over 400,000 people, has been able to build itself up into a robust, globally known brand around its tourism, with at least nine million visitors flocking annually to its pristine beaches and tourism offerings.
In an interview with The Monitor, Davis said Botswana has the opportunity to fortify its national brand by focusing on ecotourism, which he said is a fast-emerging industry with global appeal.
“So far as branding is concerned, you need to decide what you would like to be known for, such as safaris, then you market them,” he said on Friday. “What is a real growing area of tourism is called ecotourism. “That is really taking off and if you brand yourself as the mecca for ecotourism, with the Delta waterlogged, definitely it would be attractive.”
Davis and his delegation visited the Okavango Delta last week where many major operators are transforming their operations to renewable, low environmental impact offerings. Many major camps are run partly or fully on solar power while building materials are restricted to renewable or environmentally-friendly alternatives. Many of the camps also feature renewable installations for water and consumables such as glass, while leading operators such as Chobe Holdings are deploying electric safari vehicles and boats.
Davis said the starting point for boosting the tourism sector is a greater investment in Batswana and its natural “warmth” to visitors.
“Tourism is what I call a relationship product and visitors get to know the people in the industry. “The heartbeat of success in tourism would be the attitude and the skill of your people. “I can say, from what I have seen of the Botswana people, you have a treasure trove of spirit that is welcoming to success in the tourism business. “People are friendly, they are polite and engaging. “I would start with the people, getting them to appreciate the value of the tourism product, what it is and you train them,” he said.
Davis’ state visit to Botswana follows a mission President Mokgweetsi Masisi and a delegation of Cabinet ministers and senior officials paid to the island nation last September. The two countries are cooperating in tourism, agriculture, education and other sectors, including the development of a digital currency by the Bank of Botswana.
Davis said his visit to Botswana was about continuing the dialogue for the benefit of Bahamians and Batswana.
“I am satisfied with what has been achieved and the path that we have charted for the way forward,” he told The Monitor. “This trip was not just about formal discussions. “It was about connectivity; it was about dialogue; it was about learning from each other and taking away the best of each other to ensure that our people can be uplifted going forward.”
The Prime Minister added that together with President Masisi, the two leaders had given their technocrats a challenge to concretise the various agreements and areas of mutual interest that have been discussed.
“What I realised is that the President and I have similar traits. “We are impatient but when we took stock of where we were from his meeting with me in September last year, we had to say it’s only been six months! “But no, we are taking stock and both are now satisfied that we are making a lot of progress in a number of areas and we will continue to make progress. “We’ve given it up to the technocrats to move these initiatives that they are now trying to craft to push to fruition,” he said.