MASERU – THE Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Limkokwing University of Technology (LUCT) to improve the tourism sector.
This MoU will ensure that the tourism sector becomes a viable and sustainable tool which contributes to the growth of the country.
The LTDC Chief Executive Officer, Retšelisitsoe Nko, said they have been silent partners with the LUCT for a couple of months.
Through their experience, they realised that the skills that the university provides could effectively enhance the performance of the tourism sector.
“The university has faculties that fit directly into the requirements of their work especially in terms of marketing, awareness and branding,” Nko said.
“With their skills and capacity, they have been able to help us with the branding, advertising and marketing.”
This development, he said, has drawn the attention of international tourists.
Nko said the university also sits in a special committee where they have formed part of the advisory board.
He said the university will help in the improvement of the sector and will help them implement their mandate.
“Now their skills will come at an opportune time where the country is taking a swift transformation towards enhancement of economic and social performance,” he said.
The LUCT Vice-Chancellor, Advocate Tefo Macheli, said tourism is known as one of the key pillars for the development of any economy.
“It has now been regarded as a priority area in our economy,” Advocate Macheli said.
For him, Lesotho has a tourism sector which is still untapped and there is a lot that needs to be done to develop the sector.
He said this will further help to execute what “we would want to see Lesotho’s tourism developing from one level to the next”.
“To achieve this, fresh places of interest have to be advertised and marketed,” he said.
He said Lesotho’s tourism should go beyond lodges, guest houses and hotels.
He said they need to be strategic in such areas hence this requires collaborations.
The digitalisation of Lesotho tourism is one of the collaboration areas to be attended to where all tourism attractions should be well documented and strategically placed in all the platforms which will allow tourists to access the sites through the click of the phone.
Advocate Macheli called for collaboration with players in the sector to ensure that the sector is developed.
Refiloe Mpobole