What about the Pula Traveller

| Tuesday February 9, 2010 00:00

There is lightning displaying mightily out across the river and the sounds of the evening slowly peak into a crescendo of delightful gratification. It is the end of another day, it was a glorious day.

With all this going on around me one would expect me to be in a state of peace and comfort and gratitude. It would therefore surprise, well, any one really that this is not really the case. I am, this evening, in Maun and on my way to more exotic destinations. I am a nature lover and I am a Pula traveller. Let me explain this briefly before going on. I spend local currency; I earn local currency and where possible I live in local currency. For anyone interested this statement of being a 'Pula Traveller' could include anyone who is not rolling in big foreign bills with exciting names like US Dollars, British Pounds and Euros. Not that I have anything against these big names, I would love to be in a position to be more familiar with them, but alas. This is not the case. I am just me, just local, just Motswana.

I am discomforted by the overwhelming thought that I may not be able to be in the position I am this evening. I may never be able to afford to be in this lovely place again, enjoying these sights and sounds and displays. Not that the place I am staying at now will become more expensive itself but where can I go from here. Normally I travel here on my way north. They call it the milk run here in Maun, but this town on the edge of the Okavango is really the beginning of a very stimulating vacation. I love Moremi, and Savuti and Kasane, but these may soon be out of my price range.

Many of the public campsites within these parks have been given out to private companies. This idea had its merits, the promise of a better run bookings' system being one that was promised. There are alternatives to privatising sites though, there are technologies available where one can book and pay for sites, rooms, tickets etc online. one of these options may have worked just as well, perhaps better. So, without due consideration the sites get privatised. Ironically this seems to be more than just in name too as these public sites may quickly become very un-public. Very private. Not only have their prices gone up enormously but it is rumoured that they are also being turned into lodges and camping is going to be greatly reduced, if not altogether abandoned.

If this is true, and I can't bring myself to believe it to be so as there would just be so many people who would lose out because of it. It is a concern to me. Let me explain why.

The Pula traveller is normally a self drive traveller, from Botswana, Namibia or from RSA. He may also be someone who books onto an overland truck, or a bus tour. He stays at cheaper accommodations and campsites.

He drives everywhere throughout Botswana and makes use of many more areas than just the the Prime Tourist hotspots. He fills up with fuel along the road. He buys food and drink along the way. He may buy curios at given stops and he visits places that are not easy to fly to. He spends money in many, many unusual places. There is a ripple effect of people throughout the country, Ghanzi and Nata included who are benefitting from the Pula traveller.

If we ignore him and concentrate on the non-Pula traveller then we will be ignoring all his other pula travelling friends and would ultimately be encouraging a disservice to all who rely on the Pula traveller to survive. What happens, if we tell the Pula guy we don't like him? He goes elsewhere on holiday, perhaps to a country that does want him and suddenly, unexpectedly, someone, somewhere decides to, God forbid, put together another 9/11 disaster. Then who will visit us here. The last 9/11 had a tremendous effect on the world traveller. Can we afford to have all our eggs in one non-Pula basket?

Let me table some questions. Is the Pula traveller a peripheral traveller?(Suggest you explain in more detail what you mean by 'peripheral traveller'.)Do we need to only make peripheral places available to him?Does his enjoyment of our natural resources measure any less importantly than the non-Pula traveller?Should he be treated as less? Do those making these decisions, decisions that would both discourage and deter the Pula traveller, also mean to destroy a large portion of other people's incomes?Is the whole tourism sector important, or are we more interested in the big money spinners?Are these ideas designed to help Batswana, or only some Tour Operators, and please note, I did not use the word Batswana in the second part of this question? Are these innocent mistakes, or......

Is it a coincidence that people seem to be under the impression that tourism in Botswana only belongs to or relates to the 'Hot Spots' in the country and go on forgetting about all the little places along the route that are servicing and in so doing, benefitting from the industry in a small way. Isn't it funny how some of those in positions to make these rumours a reality, happen to be related to, or involved with high end non-Pula tourism operations. Ask yourself if you know of any businesses that rely on Pula Traveller to survive, that have influential government or community people as directors in their company.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The big get bigger and the small get the short end of the stick.

I must admit at this point that, all there is at the moment are rumours, but perhaps these and other questions need to be asked.

One more question.What about the Pula Traveller?

By E. N. Litened