BY CALISTUS BOSALETSWE
Local hotelier – Cresta Marakanelo Limited has shown its appetite to have a stake at the country’s hot tourism spot ÔÇô Okavango Delta.
This comes after the government mull over opening up opportunities for local companies to operate in area that is predominantly run by foreign companies.
The BSEL quoted hotelier is currently operating hotel establishments in two tourists’ town being Maun and Kasane.
Cresta Limited Board Chairman – Moatlhodi Lekaukau this week made it public that the company has interest in operating a hotel establishment in Okavango delta.
Lekaukau indicated that Cresta as a citizen owned company also qualifies to be allocated a concession in the delta. “I believe that since this is local company Cresta will also benefit from the government move to allocate locals land in the delta to run tourism business” said Lekaukau.
Over the years there have been concerns about the dominance of foreign companies at the Okavango delta.
In response to the concerns, two years ago the then minister of Tourism – Tshekedi Khama promised two to subdivide concession areas to give Batswana an opportunity to run tourism business in the area.
Among some concerns that are raised by locals on a continuous basis is that it remains expensive to visit the delta gibe the ‘pricing’.
The new tourism minister – Kitso Mokaila has recently Mokaila admitted that there was a need for active participation of citizens in the industry.
Mokaila is of the view that locals should not remain at the periphery off tourism while the top class tourism businesses are reserved for foreign companies.
Mokaila promised the industry players that currently the government is putting up a document that will pave way for active citizen participation in the tourism sector.
