adminPrime Minister Arthur Mutambara has said.
Officially opening the 2011 Sanganai/Hla-nganani World Travel and Tourism Africa Fair in Harare yesterday, DPM Mutambara said aid denied the continent investment opportunities.
“We do not want aid. Aid is a double-edged sword. When we go to ask for aid we will be saying we are a basket case for donors to give us their money. Yes we will get the money but we need to be careful with some of these statements when we go around with begging bowls asking for donor money. Who would then want to be a tourist in a basket case? Who would want to invest in a basket case? What we should push for is commercial diplomacy – a win-win situation,” he said.
DPM Mutambara said tourism could only succeed in a peaceful environment and Government should ensure that there was tranquillity in Zimbabwe.
“We want peace in Africa; we want peace in Sadc and in Zimbabwe in particular. Tourism thrives on peace and free movement of our people.”
The DPM emphasised the importance of creating a national tourism brand to market Zimbabwe as the best tourism destination in Africa and the world at large. He said a bad national brand painted a negative perception of the country as a tourism destination.
On Zimbabwe and Zambia’s bid to co-host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly in 2013, DPM Mutambara said if the two countries succeed it would be a huge victory for Sadc and the African continent.
This year’s edition of the Sanganai/Hlanga-nani World Travel and Tourism and Africa Fair attracted 746 exhibitors.
Online Reporter