Agents enjoy brushing up on Botswana

Botswana Tourism brought the sounds of the Kalahari and the okavango Delta to the UK last month, as agents gathered over the course of three fun and educational evenings in Tunbridge Wells, Glasgow and leeds.

the tourism board travelled across the country with Selling Travel to give agents the chance to learn all about the premier African safari spot.

Agents were transported to the desert wilderness of the Central Kalahari Game reserve and the snaking waters of the okavango delta with the help of safari sounds and the infectious smiles of the local people in a video presentation – and had the chance to put their new knowledge to the test to win some great spot prizes.

Presentations provided agents with top tips on how to sell Botswana along with exploring a range of accommodation options, attractions and a general geography overview. this was followed by an open discussion and the chance to swap stories with the experts. Speaking at the tunbridge Wells event, dawn Wilson, international Marketing Attaché of Botswana tourism said: “We find it is important to engage directly with the people who are selling Botswana to the public. Sessions like these enable me to give them a more in-depth understanding of the country itself as well as promoting the tourism aspect.”

Changing perceptions

Surrounded by Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, Botswana offers some of the best wildlife encounters in Africa.

With 38% of its total land area dedicated to national parks and wildlife management areas, along with its new eco-certification scheme which ensures that all camps and lodges are built with sustainability in mind and are restricted to a maximum of 12 rooms per property, Botswana has been successful in preserving a number of endangered bird and mammal species.

visitors can expect to see wild dogs, brown hyena and cape vultures, alongside resident elephants, cheetahs and black-maned lions that roam freely in mostly unfenced areas.

Botswana prides itself on being 'high value and low volume' – which results in unequalled game sightings for visitors. But this doesn't mean agents should disregard it for clients on a budget.

“there's a perception that Botswana is an expensive trip, but actually there is something to suit every budget, from basic camps to luxury lodges," commented Belen Nanarro from Botswana tourism. Some agents are too quick to suggest Kenya when clients ask for a safari, but this betrays a lack of confidence in selling Botswana, which has an option for every price range."

"It's important to engage directly with agents"

Thoughts from the night

Nicole Stewart and ed o’Brien from titan travel said: “We try to come to all the Selling Travel destination dialogue events as we get a real insight into a destination and its products, which you can’t get from a brochure. We always learn something new, which makes us more confident when it comes to selling. the customer is forever looking for something different and Botswana has that up-and-coming feel about it.”

tom Seddon, an on Your travel agent, added: "i regularly sell Kenya and tanzania but not so much Botswana as i never knew much about it. it's been very interesting to learn about the history and the sound clips really gave us a sense of being out in the game reserves."

Fam trip

Botswana tourism is inviting 140 agents from all countries to visit Botswana at the end of the year. each agent will benefit from four days out on safari with one or more Botswana-based operators followed by two-and-a-half days in Kasane for destination workshops and the opportunity to meet operators in one-on-one meetings. Botswana tourism will pick 25% of the nominations for this trip, the remainder will be nominated by specialist Botswana operators.

Contact dwilson@botswanatourism.org.uk for more information.

"Don't miss the opportunity to be on the next Botswana fam trip