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The minister said on tourism product development, BTO had developed campsite facilities at Khawa, which contributed to tourism product diversification efforts and enabled the Khawa campground to be developed into a year-round destination
The Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) has been mandated to market Botswana as a tourism destination, grade tourism facilities, and develop and diversify the tourism product.
Answering a question in Parliament on Monday on behalf of the Minister of Tourism and Environment, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major General Pius Mokgware, said in the past five years, BTO had been successful in citizen empowerment through tourism community joint venture partnerships and tourism product development as per its mandate.
He said BTO had facilitated the allocation of 21 tourism sites and concession areas to citizens, and these included tourism sites and lodge sites with those allocated land at different levels of development.
Maj. Gen Mokgware further said there was joint venture partnerships for two community trusts in Mababe and Khwai with a level of investment of P72 million, rentals amounting to more than P3.2 million per annum and employment of 127 people.
He added that more joint venture partnerships were being sought for other communities such as Mandunyane, Mmadinare, Motlhabaneng, Lentswe-le-moriti, Mathathane, Kanye and Khuis.
The minister said on tourism product development, BTO had developed campsite facilities at Khawa, which contributed to tourism product diversification efforts and enabled the Khawa campground to be developed into a year-round destination, providing accommodation for tourists visiting the adjacent KD15 concession area. He said the campground would also be utilised in the near future by transit tourists travelling to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) through the entrance gate to be established 20 kilometers from Khawa.
The minister said BTO had also facilitated the allocation of a 406.2-hectare site along the Molopo Fossil River, which would be utilised for the development of the Khuis tourism park.
He said the project would entail the development of accommodation facilities and the introduction of activities such as quad biking, segway rides and zip lining, adding that the construction of a gatehouse had commenced as the first stage of the project.
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He further said BTO had facilitated the development of a cultural village, which also included a campground and accommodation in Phuduhudu along the Trans-Kgalagadi Highway. The project, he noted, would showcase the cultures of nine communities in the Hukuntsi district from Ukhwi, Ngwaatle, Zutshwa, Monong, Maake, Inalegolo, Ncaang, Hunhukwe and Phuduhudu who have formed the Western Kalahari Cultural Trust, and designs had been completed and approved with the tender process for construction having commenced.