- Says BTO now has direction
- Confirms that they will cut marketing events
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
Minister of Tourism, Environment and Culture Kitso Mokaila has assured that Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) will desist from competing with the private sector and will now focus on providing the private sector with the necessary space in which to operate.
Mokaila said this at the recently held Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) 35th Conference in Kasane.
“I am aware that there have been complaints regarding my Ministry’s competition with the private sector through the Botswana Tourism Organisation. This is unfortunate as we are meant to create a conducive environment for your businesses to prosper and not aggravate your frustrations. BTO initiated activities in their quest to diversify our tourism product. They have done extremely well in this front and most of the initiatives started will be tendered to yourselves,” Mokaila told attendants of the HATAB conference.
He further revealed that they have reconstituted the BTO board and appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the restructuring exercise, which includes cutting down some of the external marketing activities done by the BTO.
“We have appointed a CEO and we have reconstituted the BTO board and now we are seemingly back on track in terms of direction. We are in the process of cutting down these external marketing activities that BTO has been doing. BTO will not compete with the private sector,” he said.
“I have asked the board chairman and the CEO to find exit strategies for all the businesses that the BTO is in. We are in the business of ensuring that we start businesses and hand over to the private sector and moving on to do other things to grow the industry and diversify it. We must give the private sector the space in which they must operate in. We have places like Seboba and Camel Park, we must move on,” he added.
In conclusion, the former Minister of Transport and Communications revealed that they will continue with the ‘old’ BTO strategy as the board does not have enough time to come up with their own strategy.
This publication has also been informed that some members of the executive management are also likely to face the chop as Mokaila continues in his clean up campaign of BTO.