Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE upsurge in local Covid-19 cases is likely to frustrate efforts to promote domestic tourism, players in the tourism sector have said.
Government recently partially opened the tourism industry by allowing restaurants and safari operators among other facilities to open for domestic clients but there are fears that the rise in local infections could reverse the gains.
Industry players are now worried that the high hopes by hotels and lodges, tour operators and restaurants for revitalisation of the sector through domestic tourism, might be shattered by the sudden surge in Covid-19 cases.
The concerns come as local transmissions are on the increase and by Tuesday this week 2 512 Covid-19 cases and 34 deaths had been recorded.
A a number of public institutions such as courts, police stations, prisons, hospitals and some private entities have been hit by the global pandemic.
On Monday Parliament indefinitely suspended public hearings and sittings after two MPs tested positive for Covid-19 during a field visit across the country. On Friday and Saturday the delegation was booked at a local hotel in Victoria Falls, raising fears in the tourism sector.
Sources at the hotel said all staff members were tested on Monday and told to self-isolate. Industry executives said they were worried by the development, which leaves the sector hard pressed to balance between national health needs and the future of tourism.
Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe (TBCZ) president, Ms Winnie Muchanyuka, said the impact will be severe to the tourism industry.
“Balancing between national health concerns and survival of tourism businesses is indeed a tough call. The growing cases will impact negatively on the drive to boost domestic tourism as Government will tighten restrictions on movement and those that were likely to travel may cancel or postpone their travel fearing for their safety,” she said.
Ms Muchanyuka warned that the virus was within communities hence the need for industry players to observe all health protocols including use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
She said education remains critical and as such Government and business should instill confidence in the general populous that life can still continue if we practise WHO and health authorities recommendations.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) chair for Victoria Falls chapter Mr Anald Musonza concurred.
He urged every citizen to play a part in flattening the Covid-19 curve.
“We have noted with concern the increasing local Covid-19 infections and its effects on the domestic tourism drive we have adopted as an industry. This second wave seems to be much more deadly than the first wave as the cases are increasing rapidly. We must all play our part in flattening the curve or else we will lose lives and a lot of businesses may collapse. We appeal to all citizens to take lockdown restrictions seriously so that we don’t expose ourselves to this serious pandemic and bring negative effects to our efforts to revive our hospitality and tourism industry,” he said.
The industry expects that cases would remain subdued and instill confidence in domestic tourism, which had over the years been overlooked, with Government now geared to promote it.
Employers Association for the Tourism and Safari Operators national president, Mr Clement Mukwasi, said domestic tourism was a good stimulus for resuscitation of the tourism industry if operators come up with Covid-19 sensitive prices.
“The impact of partial opening was quite low because as long as borders are closed the tourism industry doesn’t necessarily operate viably. Furthermore, the time partial opening occurred intercity travel was still banned. People within destinations don’t have money to enjoy facilities,” he said.
Mr Mukwasi implored companies to come up with pricing models and packages sensitive to income levels of Zimbabweans, saying it should not be business as usual for companies post Covid-19. – @ncubeleon.
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