Mokaila calls on tourist sector to form single body

BONIFACE KEAKABETSE
Correspondent | Tuesday November 30, 2010 00:00

 

Giving a keynote address at a conference of the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) over the weekend in Maun, Mokaila noted that the current scenario where there are two representative  bodies - HATAB and the Botswana Guides Association (BOGA) - has become problematic because the two are susceptible to hijacking by sub-sector interests.

Because tourism is the second-highest revenue earner for the economy and has the potential to take the top spot after the depletion of minerals, Government needs to clear all the stumbling blocks impeding tourism growth.

Mokaila said one way of doing that is creating a single body that represents the interests of the entire industry. The conference was held under the theme: Unlocking the Tourism Potential.

The minister said because the government continues to invest large sums of money in marketing Botswana as a reputable tourism destination, the industry must reciprocate this by accommodating positive efforts by adjusting to different and new demands.

Statistics indicate that the country has witnessed an increase from 620, 000 visitors in 2004 to an estimated 1.9 million visitors in 2009, which constitutes an average growth of 8.4 since 1994.

Mokaila said this growth and resilience, although welcomed, should not blindfold the country into believing that all is right because there are still many challenges the industry is facing.

The government continues to experience low response rates from the industry in submission of the tourism statistics, late renewal of and non-renewal of licences, and non-remittance of training levies, resulting in loss of government revenue.

Another challenge is lack of training institutions for capacity-building from the proceeds of the Tourism Industry Training Levy. 'Due to this, our goals to transform the industry into a customer-centric sector are being hampered,' Minister Mokaila noted.

'On my dance floor, it takes two to tango,' he said. There is a need for industry players to devise programmes to aide the government in the development of monuments and heritage sites within the existing tourist destinations.

The private sector, he said, must become supportive to the government's Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) and poverty eradication.

'I challenge you to empower communities you are operating in, not just by joint venture arrangements but by actual projects where the communities can take a role in the operations of the ventures,' the minister said.

'Remember, had it not been for conservation of the resources by these communities, we would not have the pristine environment we enjoy today.'