The North West Department of Tourism is optimistic that the Tourism Sector alongside with Agriculture and Cultural Sectors will contribute meaningfully towards the growth of the Provincial Economy and thereby addressing the Socio Economic Challenges facing the province.
Having recognised that heritage and cultural tourism products are notably the fastest emerging competitive tourism products within the Domestic Tourism Market, the North West Department of Tourism have in partnership with North West Parks and Tourism Board together with other provincial departments and popular North West brand properties embarked on a mission to ensure that the North West province becomes a preferred Tourist destination and a hub for domestic tourism.
The partnership has thus far yielded positive results which led to the formation of the Mafikeng Lifestyle Experience weekend, sports, arts, culture and musical events festivities packaged as one entertainment programme aimed at showcasing and positioning the province’s capital city, as one of the contenders for preferred domestic tourist’s destination.
MEC for Tourism in the province, Desbo Mohono said that packaging events in such a manner will ensure that people get their money’s worth. She further said that when tourists decide to visit this province it won’t be for one particular brand property.
“We package these events to ensure that our visitors can have a complete experience of our province. As a department responsible for tourism in the province we must ensure that we come up with initiatives which will stimulate the local economic development and have serious impact on the growth of our economy.
We need to ensure that there are economic spins-offs for locals within the small, micro and medium enterprises and that our visitors are having an experience of a lifetime. Remember people don’t mostly pay for beds, they pay for experiences,” said Mohono.
Meanwhile, to further expand, profile and popularize different tourism products in the province, the North West Department of Tourism and the North West Parks and Tourism Board are hosting more than thirty print and electronic journalists from different national stations and publications. The team was also beefed up by Journalist from the neighboring Botswana. These Journalists were introduced from row experience and access to some of Mahikeng’s most popular tourism products namely the Mahikeng Game Reserve, Molemane Eye, Montshioa Cultural Village, Mmabatho Stadium, Mmabana Arts Centre, Leopard Park Golf Club and BOP Recording Studios.
Enquiries:
Dineo Lolokwane
Tel: 018 388 2081
Cell: 072 542 8444
E-mail: dlolokwane@nwpg.gov.za
