Selling Lesotho As A 'Tourism Mecca'

(MENAFN- The Post) Tebello Thoola, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Lesotho tourism Development Corporation (LTDC), has urged youths to venture into the tourism space in Lesotho.
“There are more opportunities in the tourism sector, which can boost our economy,” Thoola told thepost this week.
He said the tourism sector contributed close to a million US dollars (about M18 million) of revenue to Lesotho.

“This could even be more because other sectors were not measured,” Thoola said.

He said there are more opportunities in the tourism industry, not just for urban areas but for rural areas as well.

“There are lots of tourism attractions in rural areas. This is where most of the attractions, the beauty, and the landscape are based,” Thoola said.

As for the corporation, Thoola said they have a homestay programme.

He said this programme enables the community to provide services such as“home stays” to tourists.

“We found out that the contemporary tourists are attracted by the natural part of the country,” Thoola said.

He said tourists are more interested in exploring the culture and heritage of tourism destinations.

He said they are more interested in the lifestyle of the communities.

Thoola said the homestay programme is doing very well.

“This programme has changed the lives of Basotho because they are able to make a living out of it,” Thoola said.

Thoola said under the National Development Strategic Plan (NDSP) II tourism has been identified as one of the sectors that could contribute to Lesotho's economic growth, reduce poverty, and create jobs.

Thoola mentioned that the Sani Top was one of the thriving communities.

He said the community of homestay tourists in Sani Top has transitioned from only providing homestays to serving traditional food as well.

On a daily basis, Thoola said, there are more tourists using the community services.

Thoola said they have further revised the payment system from M20 to M50 per head.

Thoola said even the hikers are making a significant contribution to the communities through donations and other services.

He said the opportunities are not only open to the communities but also to the whole country.

He said there are lots of opportunities.

Thoola said Basotho are showing a keen interest in tourism.

“Almost every weekend there is a tourism event taking place,” Thoola said.

Thoola mentioned the hiking that occurs outside of towns, the events, as well as the accommodation establishments.

Within the tourism value chain, Thoola said, there are a lot of opportunities, which not only eradicate poverty but also create more jobs.

Thoola said many tourists buy Basotho's handicrafts to keep as mementos.

He said tour operators often transport those tourists to their desired destinations, and it would be good if the operators were local people.

He said accommodation facilities have created a lot of jobs in rural and semi-rural areas where many tourists often visit.

He encouraged youths to come up with a lot of events during the year, because“events are also playing a critical role in promoting Lesotho as a unique tourism destination”.

He encouraged villagers across the country, especially where there are tourism attractions, to form community associations, which, among other things, offer horse transport services.

Thoola mentioned Malea-Lea Lodge as one of the facilities that is working hand-in-hand with the local people who offer various services to tourists.

He said the facility takes care of the community horses which tourists ride to visit different areas of interest in the Malea-Lea and surrounding villages.

He said the lodge collects the money from tourists on behalf of the community and pay them on a monthly basis.

As the accommodation facilities grow, this will enable the country to compete with others for international events and conferences.

Thoola said this will allow them to form the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) sector.

Thoola said they have a department that works with quality standards.

He said they also have a programme for grading the facilities.

Thoola said they train the accommodation owners on how to improve their standards.

He said the grading system further serves as a marketing strategy.

He encouraged upcoming entrepreneurs to improve their creativity and innovation.

He said there are a lot of opportunities in terms of creating awareness and coming up with new products that will showcase our tourism destinations.

“We are now living in a digital space. The old marketing strategies are outdated,” he said.

He said this calls for creativity and innovation to market Lesotho and its tourism destinations.

Refiloe Mpobole

MENAFN10102023000229011070ID1107221128