adminBusiness Correspondent
THE National Tourism Policy which was recently launched by Vice-President Joice Mujuru in Harare last week gives hope to Zimbabweans as custodians of the country’s abundant natural resources.
The blueprint is a gigantic step forward towards sustainable development of tourism in the country as well as a big boost to tourism performance which has declined over the years.
The policy if well implemented is also a huge step forward towards Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Engineer Walter Mzembi’s ultimate dream of a $5 billion Tourism Economy in Zimbabwe by 2020, in line with vision 2020 and implemented within the context of economic blueprint, Zim-Asset.
Zimbabwe is currently receipting just $1 billion from 1,872 million arrivals per annum as compared to neighbouring South Africa’s $12 billion from 10 million arrivals per annum.
The country’s benchmark year was 1999, when 27 percent of international arrivals were from Europe and America.
It is now down to 13 percent, with this high expenditure and leading source market.
Considering the appalling statistics, a lot of work is still needed to revive the tourism industry since the policy without implementation will remain simply a dream. Eng Mzembi at the policy launch emphasised on the need to start acting and walk the talk.
“If we have set our minds on rebuilding, on recovery, we must do so unabated. Everything becomes a dream until implementation commences.
“Policy launches are dreams, and will remain dreams, until we start doing something, acting or implementing, and herein lies the biggest mischief in our midst today — implementation or the lack of it,” he said.
The minister said there was need to “speak politically to various regional markets beyond the initiative of industry and our tourism authorities”.
“Apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia had a closer tourism relationship between its white citizens than independent Republic South Africa and Zimbabwe today. Even in the thick of the war, tourists would be escorted to Rhodesia and Lourenco Marques (Maputo) for a holiday! We need to speak politically to these markets beyond the initiative of industry and our tourism authorities. We need to interrogate why at the least 30% of the Republic of South Africa’s bona fide 9,9 million international tourists do not take the extension visit to what used to be the 10th Tourism Province.
“Is it the lack of a tourist visa, that eliminates the need for an unnecessary transit visa, poor product offerings and their pricing or brand perceptional issues that we need to address to tap into this obvious opportunity?. We are going to need political engagement beyond the diplomatic niceties captured in our routine MOUs between us. There was clearly a deliberate political effort and affirmative policy to keep Rhodesia alive during its biting sanctions, and Beitbridge Border Post was designed then to be responsive to this market. Even the roadblocks/checkpoints were friendly to that traffic for the intended purpose. Is it the case today as history repeats itself with Zimbabwe under sanctions?
“That philanthropic tourism visit by the South African black middle class or assisting international arrivals to extend their visit to sister Zimbabwe, is it understood between first and foremost our revolutionary parties ANC and ZANU (PF), as a sanctions-busting visit that should help a sisterly state in need? Equally, does this thinking interpret itself in our Government dialogue in the old Frontline States spirit?” Eng Mzembi said.
He said there was need for “an absolute review” of “Brand Zimbabwe” as well as positive and balanced publicity by local media.
“We are fighting daily perceptional issues we either sponsor ourselves, through political rhetoric or self hate speech through social media by the Diaspora, and our national daily papers that are informing opinion on Brand Zimbabwe.
A monthly balanced sheet of editorial spin by our papers speaks to a destination in conflict, yet we are one of the most peaceful and climatable countries on earth,” he said.
Cde Mujuru “blessed” the dream, the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry as well as its stakeholders for crafting the policy.
She described it as a significant development given that the sector has been identified as one of the major drivers of economic growth.
“I have no doubt that this National Tourism Policy will be a compass to guide us to put a solid foundation for the sustainable development of tourism in Zimbabwe. We need to identify new areas that offer greater potential for tourism development. An area that requires our attention is the development of domestic tourism given the opportunity it offers to small players. To unlock the potential in domestic tourism, it is necessary for players in the sector to have a mindset change. The private sector should, therefore, develop a broad range of tourism products to suit the domestic market,” she said.
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