Lesotho’s Afriski Mountain Resort. Exploiting Economic Potential of Mountainous Environment

Africa | Energy & Environment | Leisure & Hospitality | Lesotho September 8, 2022

Lesotho’s Afriski Mountain Resort is one of only two ski resorts in Africa South of the Sahara. It is located at more than 3 000 m above sea level on the slopes of the country’s Maluti Mountains, near Butha Buthe in the northern part of the country. The area experiences snowfall between May – September with temperatures that can drop to below -5 Celsius.

Afriski Mountain Resort consists of lodges and 1 kilometre ski slope. The resort is said to attract over 1 million tourists per year, mainly from neigboring South Africa. It is probable that tourists from other parts of Africa and the world at large wishing to experience snow and skiing in tropical Africa may soon find Afriski Mountain Resort interesting and add it to their lists of holiday destinations.

So far, Lesotho’s mountainous environment has to a large extent been seen in some quarters in the country and elsewhere as economic constraint rather than opportunity. Some sources have even used it to explain why Lesotho is still income poor.

Nevertheless, the success of Afriski Mountain Resort in boosting tourism in Lesotho may help bring about a shift from the above perspective about the role of the country’s mountainous environment in economic growth. A shift in perspective may also lead to more ideas about how the obviously unique mountainous environment could be exploited even further to spur increased economic growth.

The video above is intended to give an idea about how the incredible Afriski Mountain Resort and its surroundings look like. Lots of snow right in tropical Africa! Take a look everybody!

-------------------

Video by

Africauptodate

Music video Energy by

https://www.bensound.com

_________________________ © 2015 - 2022 Africauptodate. All Rights Reserved