Invest in tourism, business urged

94th UNWTO executive council, Minister Mzembi challenged financial institutions to support companies like Air Zimbabwe ahead of the summit.
The meeting is expected to hear a report on Zimbabwe and Zambia’s state of preparedness on hosting the next general assembly.
A UNWTO inspection team was recently in Zimbabwe and Zambia to assess progress towards the hosting of the event.
“Recently, at one of the Sanganayi workshops, the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe, cynically suggested that tourism was least priori­tised by the sec­tor.
“Painful as it sounded, it echoed the reality even at fiscus, where sometimes the Finance Minister forgets to acknowledge our performance, notwithstanding but figures do not lie.”
He said Zimbabweans and the cor­porate world should support President Mugabe’s commitment towards the successful hosting of the general assem­bly.
“I must applaud HE President Mugabe for signing up to the Golden Book in May 2012, as a demonstration of the importance he attaches to tourism, but beyond that it needs facili­tation for it to succeed. This would include visa regime reviews, use of plas­tic money, setting up of a tourism revolving fund, air access and airlines.”
Minister Mzembi said the situation at Air Zimbabwe was totally untenable and deserved a national emergency response. “We can’t bury our heads in sand, and hope that the situation will solve itself. Recently an entire South African Airways board resigned citing lack of fiscal support.”
The SAA board was asking for R6 billion.