Museums hold key to diversification of tourism
Globally museums play a crucial role in the success of tourism by attracting millions of international and domestic visitors.
Museums carry the success story for every country, they play a crucial role in the success of tourism, they showcase the best of a nation’s history and culture to the widest possible audiences.
They are supposed to captivate visitors with objects that tell the stories of the world and offer a sense of place. When was the last time you went to the National Museum in Gaborone?
Earlier this week I went there, I actually had a class that I wanted to teach about the natural and cultural resources Botswana holds. We visited the archaeology lab and the library and by the time we were done, nobody wanted to leave.
They were captivated and overwhelmed by the treasure trove before them as tourism students. Cultural and heritage attractions are definitely a cornerstone of Botswana’s tourism offer and are experienced each year by people from various walks of life in parts of the country despite the pandemic.
The Department of National Museum and Monuments has information and archives of most if not all tourism sites in the country – how is that for experiencing Botswana in a different way?
From maps to art from art to artefacts, from artefacts to diaries dating to 1933 and beyond - it is one of the underrated treasures in the country that holds the key to unlocking tourism diversification and product development in Botswana.
I would love to see more of the youth taking interest in this department as they embark on market research and acquiring knowledge about Botswana for the establishment of their youthowned tourism enterprises.
olivia. nthoi@ gmail. com