Chronicle EditorSikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
THE tourism and hospitality industry is expected to enjoy brisk business when Zimbabwe hosts the forthcoming Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Industrialisation Week at the end of next month and the Sadc Heads of State and Government Summit in August.
Service providers in the sector have already started preparations to host scores of delegates from the 16-member regional bloc.
To ensure provision of quality services, some of the operators are sprucing up their facilities.
The country will host the Sadc Summit in August, which will be preceded by the 7th Annual Sadc Industrialisation Week being hosted through the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) in partnership with Sadc Secretariat and Sadc Business Council from July 28- August 2 in Harare.
The Industrialisation Week will be held under the theme: “Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development towards an Industrialised Sadc”.
Responding to questions from Business Chronicle, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) vice-president, Mr Kudzai Ratisai, said the sector was ready to deliver and major hotels, mainly in Harare were already fully booked.
“As the hospitality sector we are fully geared to give it our best in terms of product offering and the much-deserved service. In terms of preparation, we have our products in sound condition, be it the hotels where the guests will stay or vehicles and buses for guests that might want to tour Zimbabwe to enjoy the different tourist destinations,” he said.
Mr Ratisai said in Harare guests can visit the Lion Park, People’s Market in Mbare and other such places.
“We can safely say all our players are ready to showcase our hospitality to the visitors,” he said.
Mr Ratisai said the sector will also be participating at the Sadc Industrialisation Week which they view as a unique opportunity to market themselves.
“We expect to get new business for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) and accommodation during the week,” he said.
Mr Ratisai said several hotels are either being refurbished or have already been refurbished such as Hyatt Regency.
He said the Rainbow Group of Hotels, for instance, is undertaking extensive refurbishment of its facilities including the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
Commenting on the ongoing refurbishment of the HICC, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said: “We are very happy with the developments happening now in preparation for the Sadc Summit.”
She said the Summit was a great opportunity for Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality industry to market itself.
Minister Rwodzi said the refurbishments being undertaken in preparation for the Summit are long term benefits for the industry.
According to official data, tourism receipts in 2023 increased by 27 percent to US$1,16 billion from US$911million recorded in 2022. — @SikhulekelaniM1
Online Reporter