Direct route to boost Namibia, Botswana tourism

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism believes the new Namibia-Botswana flight route will bring more tourists to the country.

Air Botswana on Tuesday announced that it will start flying to both Namibia and South Africa.

The flights will be from Maun, Kasane and Gaborone.

The new direct routes are set to commence next month in phases and Namibian flights will land in October.

Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda yesterday confirmed the new flights, saying the move will promote tourism between the neighbouring countries.

“Before, through Kasane, we were trying to grow tourism. The arrival of Air Botswana will enhance tourism in the country through this airline,” he said.

Currently, Botswana is in Namibia’s top three countries of African tourists that visit the Land of the Brave.

“It’s the third contributor, after South Africa and Angola. But they are in third place in Africa and they are eighth in the world in terms of our source markets,” Muyunda said.

Namibia had 66 561 visitors from Botswana last year.

Last year, the two countries signed an agreement which allows citizens from both countries to cross borders without passports and only identification cards.

Previously, liquidated Air Namibia serviced this route to Botswana.

In a joint statement, Namibia Airports Company (NAC) and Air Botswana say this route services access from the Namibian capital to two of southern Africa’s leading tourist hubs: the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park.

“The services will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays,” the statement reads.

NAC head Bisey /Uirab says this was due to sustained talks at all levels of government and businesses between the two countries.

“These air connectivity routes between our countries will certainly ensure increased people-to-people and business-to-business interaction between the people and businesses of the two countries,” he says.

Air Botswana says these routes are “popular destinations” for business and tourism.

“Both these new and reinstated routes, as well as increased frequencies, will strengthen our footprint in the region and simultaneously offer increased flight options to the travelling community within Botswana and beyond,” says Air Botswana chief executive Lulu Rasebotsa.

The flights from Namibia and South Africa will commence in phases from 1 September to 1 November.

Hospitality Association of Namibia head Gitta Paetzold yesterday said the new routes deepen the connections within the African Eden.

“It adds to the accessibility and interconnectivity of countries within ‘Africa’s Eden’, making trans-frontier travel even more convenient.

“With Fly Namibia connecting to Victoria Falls and Maun and now Air Botswana’s new connections, both leisure and business travel stand to benefit,” she said.