Tourism business mentees visit Chobe
This past weekend, participants of Cohort 4 of the Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme embarked on an educational visit to Chobe Game Lodge.
The educational visit crystallized elements of one of the program’s presentations, facilitated by Ernest Chaba, Assistant General Manager of Desert & Delta Safaris, specifically focusing on running a sustainable facility in a remote area. The visit also highlighted the value of environmental sustainability, with participants being sensitized to the level of investment required for developing and running an ecotourism product. This included aspects of reducing, reusing, and recycling in relation to all aspects of running the business.
According to Tshepiso Mganga, the face behind the program and the Director of City and Safari International, participants also gained an appreciation for the return on investment of ecotourism in terms of reducing operational costs, enhancing profitability, and conserving the ecosystem.
She explained that the educational visit also incorporated safari activities for the participants to gain insights into the full business model of Chobe Game Lodge, encouraging them to understand the operations of running a safari lodge or packaging an ecotourism facility for both local and international visitors.
Founded in 2021, amid the COVID- 19 pandemic, the Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme ( TBCMP) has evolved into a practical skills development and coaching program for the Tourism & Hospitality Industry of Botswana, according to Mganga.
“TBCMP is a high- value, highimpact program that propels start- ups and small- scale tourism businesses into finding their place within the highly competitive tourism industry. To date, the program has mentored and coached over 100 enterprises across the tourism value chain,” she explained. She further stated that the expert- led program is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to venture into the tourism and hospitality industry, as well as for tourism businesses already in operation, including hotels, lodges, guesthouses, mobile safari operators, travel agents, tour operators, tourism funders, and NGOs. TBCMP also offers highvalue networking and business- tobusiness opportunities for participants and facilitators.
The flagship TBCMP program runs over three months ( bi- weekly), with two physical sessions, four virtual sessions, and an educational visit to the 50- year- old Chobe Game Lodge, sponsored by Desert & Delta Safaris. This year’s launch program also had Protea Hotel by Marriott as the venue sponsor. Plans are underway to launch the next cohort between September and November 2024.