25 Feb 2025

In an effort to diversify the tourism product and enrich the travellers’ experience, Travel for Impact and Safari Destination have collaborated to introduce the , The Maun Immersive Cultural Tour’ initiative. 

The initiative gives tourists the opportunity to experience Botswana beyond wildlife. 

In an interview, the tour and guide manager from Travel for Impact, Keolekile Eole, said initiative aimed to give travellers a glimpse of life in Maun before they could transit into the Okavango Delta. 

She said they had realised that most tourists came to Maun to fly into the delta and believed that the three-hour Maun Immersive Cultural Tour could compliment their safari experience, as they would have an opportunity to embark on tours around Maun to appreciate the lifestyle of the community and their rich culture. 

The tour, she said, would be culturally-based considering that Maun, as a village with diverse ethnic groups, had a lot to offer in terms of cultural activities and practices.

Through the tour, Eole highlighted that travellers would  experience unique features, shopping malls to appreciate and learn how the locals make ends meet. 

“This is a brilliant initiative because it does not only enrich the tourists’ experience but also empowers and supports the local entrepreneurs economically. Travellers will walk through the vibrant market places to buy locals’ artwork such as baskets, German print (leteisi) and other locally made products among others,” she said.

Furthermore, she said travellers would local restaurants to have a taste of some traditional dishes, noting that during the tours they also share storytelling about the history of Maun and how certain ethnic groups engaged in certain activities such as marriage and botsetsi, among others. 

She said the initiative, which was birthed during COVID-19, was producing positive results noting that some entrepreneurs had welcomed it as it boosted their operations. 

She said the initiative had boosted one of the entrepreneurs, Sedie Basket Sisters, who specialised in basket weaving, saying guests that visited them buy baskets to take home as souvenirs. 

She noted that the initiative targeted both domestic and international travellers highlighting that recently, they hosted Miss Botswana, Anicia Gaothusi.

She said they took Miss Botswana, who was visiting Maun for the first time to various places and was impressed to learn about basket weaving.  

She said she had an opportunity to interact with basket weavers and some locals who produced earrings using Mokala tree. 

“We also took her to a local traditional food outlet to enjoy traditional cuisine and she was impressed by the warm reception, vibrancy and love from the community,” she said. 

Eole appealed to travellers to continue supporting the initiative as it promotes cultural tourism, gives them a chance to explore Maun, empowers locals and eventually stimulates the local economy. BOPA