[2008-10-10]  E-Tourism Opens Botswana to Global Markets
The era of struggling to penetrate global markets by Botswana's tourism sector may be over after an Internet product aiming to improve global distribution of Botswana tourism products was launched this week.

The Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) and E-tourism International (ETI) on Tuesday launched what they term "an exciting project to implement Botswana's first E-tourism initiative".


Dubbed 'Simply Botswana', the product was officially launched at a glittering ceremony at Phakalane with tens of tourism businesses attending. Medical company MedRescue has also become a partner in the newly launched product.

Developers of Simply Botswana have hailed the product as a truly a 'one-stop shop' for tourists and travellers alike. It has been in the offing for the last seven years, according to the developer David Kepaletswe, who tells Mmegi that the project's costs have run into millions of pula.Kepaletswe has teamed up with a well-known Australian international IT company Worldnet.com which has offices in London, Malaysia and Canada. The company has been hailed for developing a similar product for Australian tourism before it was engaged to do similar jobs in Wales and Canada. On the launch night, Worldnet.com was represented by its commercial director Jammie Norris.

The product comes against the background of complaints that much of Botswana tourism gains are enjoyed by agents in developed countries with which bookings are made. The latest initiative involves the development and implementation of a fully-fledged Destination Management System (DMS) that provides an e-marketing platform with global reach for all destination promotional activities which will provide a comprehensive information source for travellers.

Announcing the product, the MD for e-tourism, David Kepaletswe, said the Internet-based product should enable any international tourist and traveller to directly do business with Botswana hotels and safari camps without having to go through travel agents, thus ensuring that all the money comes into the country.

The Internet-based product will enable full on-line bookings, reservations and confirmations, which will turn 'lookers' into 'bookers' by allowing them to automatically request rates, view availability, make reservations and bookings, get confirmations, create and manage itineraries as well as secure bookings by making on-line payments, Kepaletswe said.

It will also offer true e-Commerce by allowing bookers to immediately purchase a wide range of products and services and pay on-line in a secure fashion using debit or credit cards. The product is also expected to globally distribute Botswana's tourism product offerings such as tour operators, accommodation establishments, car rental companies, sellers of recreation, leisure and sports activities.

"They will have the ability to load, maintain and distribute their own product including full on-line inventories for immediate booking and confirmation over the Internet", the MD explained.

First, however, the local tourism businesses must subscribe to the new initiative in order to have information about the respective tourism facilities compiled and uploaded on the website. It also provides contact phones, as well as options to book via e-mail.

But the new initiative comes at a time when several websites by travel agents are already marketing various Botswana tourist destinations. www.sa-venues.com, for instance, has extensive information on Gaborone facilities, as well as other tourism facilities in Kasane, Maun and Francistown.

A Botswana Tourism Board website also has information on travel agents and tourism facilities in Botswana and the website provides phone numbers for the tourism facilities.

Another interesting website is tripadvisor.com, which has also uploaded interesting tourist information on Botswana's prime tourism destinations.


The popular yahoo website also has booking and enquiries options for tourists wishing to travel to places such as Gaborone, the Chobe National Park, Maun, Palapye, Mashatu Game Reserve, Selebi-Phikwe, Kasane, Lobatse, Francistown, the Tuli Block as well as providing flight information, hotels and lodges, places of interest as well as things to do in the various destinations

Source: Copyright © 2008 Mmegi/The Reporter.