If you are looking for a peaceful place to get away from the city buzz then Kasane is the ideal spot for you. Tourism minister Tshekedi Khama recently described Kasane as “Botswana’s best kept secret, on a journey to being unleashed to the world.” He was speaking at the official launch of this year’s Travel and Tourism Expo at Seboba Lodge.
Located in north-west Botswana, Kasane regularly hosts tourists from all over the world and it close to the place where four countries almost meet; Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At the launch, Khama spoke with passion and pride about issues of conservation and the importance of ensuring peaceful co-existence of animals and human beings. He urged Batswana to appreciate and nurture the tourism sector as it is the second biggest revenue earner for government after diamonds. He pointed out that the classification of Botswana as a middle income country has resulted in dwindling donor aid.
However, he said Holland recently donated Ôé¼800,000 and China ┬Ñ10,000,000 towards rhino conservation in Botswana. This has raised the bar for other countries which according to Khama were not doing enough to conserve endangered species. He also slammed the recent lifting of the ban on rhino horn trading in South Africa by a court in Pretoria, saying it was an uninformed decision which will be detrimental to the already endangered rhinos. When lifting the ban, the court said it will not allow trading in poached rhino horns, to which Khama questioned the manner in which the authorities will differentiate poached horns from the legal ones. Botswana has completely banned poaching and is currently in the process of drilling boreholes in strategic locations where wildlife is densely populated to prevent them from coming within close proximity of humans. At the expo, local tour operators were trained on how to keep up with international standards and give customers the best service. They were also given opportunities to showcase their products to local and international delegates. Attendants at the expo were also treated to game drives in the Chobe National Park and boat cruises to fully experience life is Kasane.
