Seventh BTTE Kicks Off
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday December 2, 2019 16:59
The Expo offers a unique strategic networking opportunity and gives special insight into the country’s tourism product, where one can access new markets and achieve business objectives.
BTTE also offers a unique opportunity to the Greater Europe travel industry to establish business partnerships with the Botswana tourism industry players.
To increase the Expo’s global footprint, this year the BTO has expanded its invitation to the Asian market whilst retaining the traditional source markets of Europe and North America.
According to BTO, the BTTE is the biggest undertaking of the year that recognises the importance of providing platforms for the private sector to do business for the year ahead.
“For small and medium local businesses, BTTE is the only opportunity to meet and interact with large numbers of buyers. It allows hosted buyers to expand engagements with Botswana companies and diversify their tourism offering,” organisers said.
In addition, the BTO said that the expo has over the years seen growth, with countries expressing interest in it which proves that their efforts to promote and market the country as a tourist destination is successful.
Poloko Samodi, a Kasane-based mobile safari operator, said the Expo helped him make the right connections in the industry. He actually attended it by default accompanying a friend who was already in the tourism industry.
“It was some years ago and I just passed by. I met and talked to a Victoria Falls-based mobile operator who by then was looking for a Botswana-based partner. I was unemployed at the time,” he said.
Samodi leapt at the opportunity and today he employs five Batswana and runs tours into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Maun. He also has three other employees working on the tours with tourists.