The call comes after the realisation that Botswana boasts many compelling historical sites and culture but cultural tourism is yet to gain momentum in the country.
The advice to Batswana was rendered by Johannesburg-based tour operator, Meshack Motsepe, who not so long ago ventured into the cultural tourism space. His business, MCT Tours and Safaris, offers clients a taste of South Africa’s township experience, heritage and culture. Motsepe is one of the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) exhibiting their products at the Africa travel Indaba which is underway in Durban.
Cultural tourism is a kind of tourism in which the visitor’s main goal is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible as well as intangible cultural attractions or products in a respective tourism destination. These attractions or products relate to a set of distinctive value systems, beliefs and traditions amongst others.
Cultural tourism has gathered pace in South Africa over the years, but Motsepe believes that Botswana tourism ventures particularly SMMEs have the potential to do well in the field and contribute meaningfully to the economy. He was speaking in an interview with Monitor Business on the side-lines of the Indaba.
“Botswana has a very fascinating culture and history that can be used as a pathway to cultural tourism,” he said. “What is important is the packaging and the marketing (of the culture and history). “Tourists often want to have a first-hand experience of the culture of their respective destinations. “South Africa is the epitome of a country that has successfully diversified its revenue portfolio through cultural tourism.”
Motsepe pointed out that it is vital for SMMEs who go into the cultural tourism space to collaborate with established businesses particularly those offering in demand tourism products such as safaris.
“Through the network we have with established tourism businesses, we (cultural tourism operators in South Africa) often suggest excursions (for cultural tourism) to tourists who visit the country for high value tourism products such as Safaris adventures.”
He added: “The government has also been bold in terms of ensuring that SMMEs offering cultural tourism are fully incorporated and recognised in the tourism industry through capacity building as well as marketing.”
Another tourism operator, Mel Tlhapi of Soweto Travel Shop, pointed out that is imperative for those who want to venture into cultural tourism to identify what distinguishes their offerings from the rest and package that authentically. The Soweto Travel Shop is a Johannesburg-based Travel Company that offers adventure, leisure, spiritual and entertainment travel packages to aspirant and professional travel enthusiasts.
“When it comes to cultural tourism, tourists are very particular about uniqueness. They want something that they have not seen before. They want something that is well packaged as well,” she said.
Organisations like UNESCO have been backing efforts by African to venture into cultural tourism because it is not a threat to the environment. However, this kind of tourism is still to be widely accepted by both very key tourism stakeholders such as tourists and tour operators.
Botswana Tourism Organisation acting CEO, Keitumetse Setlang, said the country was making inroads in developing its cultural tourism.
“We have a very rich culture and events such as the Khawa Sand Dune challenge and the desert race which we believe have the potential to broaden the wavelength of our tourism products,” she told Monitor Business. “We are working on a strategy aimed at expanding our markets so that people do not just come for safari adventures. “Safari adventures or wildlife will always be our core tourism, but cultural and heritage tourism offers us an opportunity to diversify our tourism product portfolio.”
