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Botswana: Open Homes to 2010 Tourists
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The Voice (Francistown)
8 April 2008
Posted to the web 8 April 2008
Gaborone
The Botswana Tourism Board (BTB) is advocating for the introduction of domestic guesthouses in preparation for the coming 2010 world cup.
Speaking in an interview BTB quality assurance manager Mr Stephen Ramalepa says domestic guesthouses will offer locals an opportunity to use their own residences to generate income.
In a domestic guesthouse, the owner stays in the same house with the guests and offers them accommodation as well as other indoor activities such as catering or the owner can provide space for the guests to prepare food for themselves.
He said this kind of facility is available in many countries, including neighbouring countries. Meanwhile Mr Ramalepa said a recent report on graded tourist accommodation facilities shows that game lodges are doing well, adding that 14 game lodges were graded as five stars.
In addition, he said 11 game lodges and camps in the Okavango Delta, one of the countrys tourist attractions were graded as five star hotels.
He said however, that more improvement has to be done to allow lodges and hotels to meet international standards.
The report also indicates that Botswana has no five star hotels, saying only Mondior Summit, Grand Palm, Phakalane Golf Estate and Gaborone Sun managed to score four stars.
The grading, he said is done both inside and outside the facility. Inside the facility, bedrooms, bathrooms, nature of beds and lighting are assessed to guide tourists to know the level of quality in a certain facility.
Grading also assist facility owners to improve their standard to match the international standard. Grading is not meant for punishment rather to assist owners of facilities to improve, he said.
Also assessed are the types of equipment provided, the convenience and the service provided.
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The latter is said to be very important in that a five star hotel can drop to four stars if the service is not impressive. BOPA
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