Good background information was given by the Tawana Land Board Chairperson’s deliberation, that the Okavango Delta is an arguably the most important Tourism.

Good background information was given by the Tawana Land Board Chairperson’s deliberation, that the Okavango Delta is an arguably the most important Tourism destination in Botswana. In order for this project to continue and for the benefit of this trade to be properly spread, active participation of the local communities is crucial for the on going success and further development of tourism in the area.

Workshops of this type are scheduled for Maun, Gumare and Shakawe to get communities’ views and feedback. It should be well-founded in our understanding that all these endeavors are to ensure the socio-economic development of Batswana. Tawana Land Board as resources stewards, requires a monitoring tool and professional approach in determining positive resolutions for the potential application for tourism sites

To create an enabling environment for conservation, sustainable utilization and management of natural resources- for the mutual benefit of local and national economies and thereby contribute to poverty alleviation and improvement of livelihoods through an on going improvement, development and diversification of the district tourism, particularly ecotourism and CBNRM activities and related program concepts.

 Improved understanding of tourism carrying capacity and limits of acceptable changes to tourism including Ecotourism, that allows establishment and setting of limits.

Tourism and ecotourism diversificationImproved management of natural resources through activities that ensures and promote economic empowerment, sustainability and transparency in the distribution of such.Improved planning, development and management of tourism and ecotourism in the District, such that it does not create new (and reduces existing) conflicts, but avoid an inappropriate development as wells as not degrading the resource base that attract tourists to the Okavango Delta and its environs

Improved monitoring of tourism and ecotourism activities and the impact founded on the state of the art information systems and Data base designed to assist, implement and further develop the District Tourism Development strategy, and ecotourism Action Plan.

The above exercises were completed and some of the adopted recommendations are as follows:

That Tawana Land Board should map up and document tourism potential sites, following the Guidelines as recommended in the Tourism Development Plan.

That the said sites, once demarcated they should be subjected to advertisement like all other common law land rights, such as commercial, industrial and ranches.

In conclusion: we are converging here today to embrace, conceive and deliver the final opinion on what the consultancy has with respect to their assignment. This report will be shared with Botswana Tourism Board (BTB) and small scale tour operators

Tawana Land Board would have done with this exercise during the first quarter of 2009. However subsequent meetings with BTB on the utilization will follow starting from high offices. As such your input from today’s and next upcoming workshops will be incorporated and will form part of the final draft report that will be presented soon around the 19/02/2009.The final product will guide both applicants and the decision makers Training of Tawana Land Board technical and professional staff on assisting TLB in sighting and mapping of the sites is planned for the 16/02/2009Thank you.