04 Jan 2023

Many tourism-related businesses saw a significant increase in a number of visitors during the festive season.

One such establishment was the Gateway Excursion; a facility located on a 10-hectare plot just outside Chanoga hamlet, near Maun.

The area, which overlooks the Thamalakane River, is known for its distinctive suite of tourism products focusing on Chanoga’s natural and cultural qualities.

Gateway Excursion’s infrastructure, scenery and architecture, which are comparable to none, give the facility a distinctive feature, which enhances the visitors’ overall travel experience.

It is known for its wide array of a number of activities such as the boat cruise and other recreational activities.

In an interview, Gateway Excursions managing director, Mr Chandy Moruti, said the facility saw an influx of local and international tourists.

He noted that since they started operating in 2021; the number of visitors has been on the rise.

“Since operations began, we have had a good run, and we appreciate the positive feedback from visitors. We mostly saw more locals and a few international customers, and we are confident that things will improve moving forward,” he said

In addition, Mr Moruti said plans were underway to put up some chalets to cater for the masses that frequent the area.

Currently, the campsite employs 10 young people and during busy days like the festive season, he said they engage up to 15 casual labourers.

Mr Moruti thanked government for promoting domestic travel; a move he said helped keep the majority of tourism enterprises afloat.

One of the safari mobile operators, Mr Loago Mokunki also concurred with Mr Moruti saying that tourism would bounce back this year as they enjoyed a great support from locals. He said they made better profits as compared to the previous year and gave credit to government for promoting domestic tourism.

“We are hopeful that this year will bring a lot of benefits to industry following years of dry spell. We had a busiest festive season and we are hoping to receive more visitors going forward,” he added. Ends