(TAN): Botswana Tourism Minister Philda Kereng has said that the country will allow direct chartered international flights to some of the country’s premier tourist resorts with effect from November 1, reported JournalduCameroun.com.
Kereng said the Covid-19 Presidential Task Team had approved the ministry’s proposal to allow direct chartered international flights to tourist attractions such as Chobe National Park and Ngamiland starting next month, reported the state-run Botswana Daily News.
Ngamiland is home to the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s largest inland deltas. It is one of Africa’s most compelling safari destinations. Each year, the floodwaters of the Okavango River arrive from the Angolan highlands and expand this unique ecosystem to almost 7,722 square miles area sustaining wildlife.
The delta has been recently ranked number 4 in the Lonely Planet “Ultimate Travel List” which was a compilation of the top 500 travel destinations across the globe.
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Kereng said the move is part of a pilot initiative that would be used to guide the tourism industry towards full opening. Botswana suspended international flights in April following the imposition of a lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The country has recently seen a spike of Covid-19 cases. However, according to the minister, while there was keen interest in reopening Botswana’s borders, “there was need to keep the delicate balance between the economy and health matters.”
