In an interview with Business Week recently, Travel Leisure (PTY) Ltd chairman, former United States ambassador to Botswana Joseph Huggins said there is need for a concerted campaign to make the country's protected sites such as Tsodilo Hills and the Kalahari deserts part of Botswana's cultural tourism.
He cited countries such as Namibia that have developed their deserts to have facilities like snowballing dunes as an act to emulate.
Huggins said in order for Botswana to develop infrastructure, government could use tax from tourism to develop the infrastructure. It's being done by a number of governments, he emphasised. Such a situation may result in the construction of bridges, expansion of the Kasane and Maun airports for them to accommodate large aircrafts such as the Booing 737s.
Asked whether his company would negotiate with Air Botswana to explore the possibility of the national airline buying bigger aircrafts, Huggins pointed out that until the privatisation process is settled, he does not think discussions on the subject could take place.
Huggins highlighted some of the challenges that they had to contend with in realising the full potential of the tourism industry and targeting the segments of United States market.
He asserted that his company aims to set up strategic packages with its partners for Unites States tourists if they come into Botswana.
" All proceeds and service fees will come directly to Botswana. When tourists come here they pay Travel Leisure Botswana directly, the money stays in the country", said Huggins.
Another challenge, Huggins suggested was for the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs to remove existing bureaucracies that cause delays in the processing of residents and work permits. Just as BEDIA has a one-stop shop, the ministry needs to change how it does things, he said.
His philosophy is premised on the thinking that since diamonds are not for ever, Botswana has to look at environment and conservation so as to make the tourism industry last forever.
"With wise management, Botswana could develop the middle market so that there are camps in Gantsi, Tsodilo Hills and Tuli Block so that if Batswana are interested that is the way to go, he advised.
