200 Batswana show interest in Chobe tourism sites
8 sites identified for development, each 3 hectares
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks recently listed eight tourism sites in the Chobe National Park for possible development.
The sites were listed in the Expression of Interest dated February 2022 for a planned development into Tourism Enterprises within the park.
Open to Batswana, 220 interested candidates showed interest by going on a site visit to the listed sites. Out of this number, 72 have expressed interest, and are at the evaluation stage. This development has been a hot topic, with Batswana divided over whether this was a good investment opportunity or not. The initiative is part of government efforts to open up opportunities for Batswana in the tourism industry. Located within the Chobe National Park, the sites have already been identified. On Monday this week, Minister, Phildah Kereng and tourism officials took the media on a site visit. The sites are all different in terms of the landscapes. One of the most exciting out of the eight is Point 8 located at Ihaha, which is a stone’s throw away from the Chobe River. Guests of this envisioned resort will literally have front- row seats and a clear view of the riverfront.
Speaking during the media briefing, Park Manager, Mbututu Mbututu explained that they have marked all the eight identified points. He said that each investor would get three hectares in size. On average he said that the points were two kilometres apart. The sites are located in three areas namely Serondela, Ihaha,
and Kabulabula. He said that each site has access to the riverfront. “The interested parties indicated areas of interest,” he said. Mbututu explained that they had only marked points and that they will determine which direction the site will go during the allocation. “The points were marked to give investors an opportunity to see where the sites will be located,” he explained. According to the Acting Director, Botshabelo Othusitse, an extensive Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) will be conducted in all the points once allocated and prior to development. He said that they wanted to protect and conserve the environment and that they wanted to avoid instances where there will be an adverse impact on the environment. “We cannot do an EIA without necessarily having development plans. It will give us an idea of whether this is something that can be put here, and whether it needs to be modified, as well as mitigation options that are necessary. “At the end of the day, we want facilities to be here, without necessarily compromising the environment,” he said
He also noted that each applicant was only allowed to bid for one site and that they would have a debriefing for those who will not be successful. For her part, the Minister called on Batswana to assist them to protect the environment. She also highlighted that the EIA would give them an indication of what investors sought to do, and how they were planning to protect the environment. “Our research has indicated that we can fit 11 lodges,” she said, calling on those who will win the sites to be ecologically sensitive. She noted that the media tour gives the media an insight into the sites where the tourist properties will be located. She said that they wanted Batswana to go into tourism, create employment, and enjoy what others have been doing. “It is the intention of the government to open up opportunities for Batswana in our protected areas after extensive research to determine whether it will not be detrimental to the environment. “This opportunity will also diversify the product offer,” she said, adding that visitors to Kasane have been enjoying boat cruises and game drives and that through this diversification there will be other new activities. The Minister said that during the dry season, it meant that traffic and movement were congested in one area. “With this strategy, tourists will be able to go and see the wildlife in other parts of the park where there are drinking holes,” she said, pointing out that they were looking at opening up alternative routes in order to balance and control the traffic. “It is very important to emphasise that when they do business here, they will be taking care of themselves and the environment while conducting business in a balanced manner,” she said.
The zoning which was done on the Riverfront has shown that in total 11 lodges can fit, and Minister Kereng emphasised that they had decided to start with eight. She said that five kilometres from point 1, there was a lot of congestion at the Game Lodge located in the park. She said that the EIA would give them an idea of the concept and design of the lodge, and what the investor wanted to do. “In terms of selecting these places, when we were zoning, we were looking at the fact that these places were right for these developments and were not too close to the riverfront,” she said.