Tourists, ordinary citizens and entrepreneurs now manage to fly from Maun to Windhoek and vice versa thanks to a Namibian private airline, Fly Namibia, in partnership with Natural Selection Safaris.
Tourists and travellers now have the opportunity to see and experience the Namibian landscape and the Okavango Delta.
The new flight operates three times a week: Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Fly Namibia’s Safari Operations Manager, Mr Marco Theron, said the new flight ensures clients arrive faster at their destinations, noting that the flight takes one hour. He said their aim is to entice Batswana to travel to Namibia and enjoy its landscape and the tourism product offered.
He noted that both Botswana and Namibia had rich and diverse histories, saying Botswana was known for her diamonds and tourism products while Namibia prided itself with magnificent landscapes, deserts and exclusive lodges. Mr Theron also said the new route would enhance regional connectivity, promote tourism and position Windhoek as an alternative gateway to the region.
He said they introduced another new flight earlier this month connecting Windhoek to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Maun and Luanda in Angola. Mr Theron said Fly Namibia was a privately funded business and that they needed stakeholder support to ensure its sustainability.
Natural Selection Safaris’ Managing Director in Namibia, Mr Ally Karaerua, also said Namibia and Botswana shared a lot in common. He said leaders of both countries made travelling easier between them by allowing citizens to cross borders using identity cards.
“We are supporting their efforts by launching a new route to enhance travelling between the countries,” he added.
He also said they operated luxury safari lodges in both countries and had special packages for citizens.
Mr Thatayaone Mmapatsi, the senior development officer for the Botswana Tourism Organisation, said the new route was a welcome development as it would boost tourism and also improve access to Maun.
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