The eSwatini government has launched a campaign to encourage locals to patronise the country’s tourist attractions in the face of the international travel bans triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Tourism Minister Moses Vilakati on Tuesday launched a domestic tourism campaign themed “A Wonder Awaits, Explore it”.
“The aims of this campaign are to increase domestic tourism expenditure, inculcate the culture of domestic travel amongst Emaswati, maximize the use of local attractions and increase geographic spread as well as promote safe travel within Eswatini,” Vilakati said.
He said his ministry has partnered with tourism players to ensure that tourist packages are affordable to locals.
“We will be working with the industry to offer competitive, affordable and exciting packages for Emaswati to be able to appreciate their own country.”
Also read: Eswatini has a US$1.7B plan to fix its economy
This has seen the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Eswatini offering up to 50 percent discounted rates on accommodation for locals.
The southern African kingdom boasts many diverse and unique attractions that appeal to a diversity of tourists.
These include the cultural village in Mantenga, which enables visitors to observe the day-to-day activities of a typical Swazi homestead and learn about Swati culture and traditions.
However, like most of its neighbours, eSwatini’s tourism sector has been severely impacted by the global ban on travel.
Source: APANews