adminChronicle yesterday carried an article in which the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Engineer Walter Mzembi, urged tour and adventure operators to introduce dual pricing that favoured domestic tourists while making foreigners pay more.
His complaint was that some of the rates were too high for local tourists hence discouraging locals from touring our tourist facilities. He cautioned that if the industry failed to review the pricing system, the Government could be forced to intervene. While it is our hope that it would not have to come to that, we also doubt the necessity of charging more by the industry.
The dual pricing system has its own disadvantages since such discrimination makes tourists feel unwelcome, and if neighbouring countries do not adopt the system, it could drive tourists away to more affordable destinations.
Zimbabwe now uses hard currency and it is our belief that a fair rate that takes cognisance of the state of our economy while also ensuring viable operations could be introduced since foreign tourists do not necessarily need to pay more. Of course, tourist operators may run specials for locals but institutionalising a dual pricing system, in our view, would make foreigners feel unwanted at a time when we are seeking all the attention in the run-up to the UNWTO meeting.
Despite the high rates charged by the tourism sector, Zimbabweans continue to be the leaders in terms of numbers at our tourist facilities and fairer rates would most certainly result in increased numbers for both locals and foreigners so that we capitalise on the volumes.
Our pricing model should take into account tariffs in the region and beyond so that we do not price ourselves out of the market. Having a dual pricing system would be akin to a dual foreign exchange rate system that we once had in this country with not so pleasant results.
The pre-occupation with higher rates should end and be replaced by pricing that is driven by costs and a profit motive that is not so unreasonable as to drive away the source of the revenue.
We agree with the minister that locals deserve a fair pricing system since they do not have a lot of money but differ in that it should not come at the expense of foreign tourists that we are still trying to lure back and hence in desperate need of the volumes.
What is not in doubt though is the need to craft a pricing system that is acceptable to both local and foreign tourists and that does not hurt the industry. This is especially so now that we are using stable international currencies. When the tourism industry indaba comes to Victoria Falls we should present an organised industry that is ready to welcome the world and offer the best product at competitive prices for locals as well as regional tourists.
We should be careful not to fall into the temptation of charging more in the run-up to the UNWTO meeting, in the same manner that local retailers increased prices towards the Christmas holidays, since that is what delegates to this country and tourists in general will remember us for. We could do without such a form of distinction.
Online Reporter