Tourism: A vital cog in anti-sanctions campaign

country, tourism is what fascinates them and thereafter the person starts developing business interests and at times, political interests too.
Zimbabwe whose tourist attractions remain largely unparalleled to any in Africa, hence its brand, “A Wold of Wonders”, has some of the most beautiful tourist attractions but issues of perception and sanctions have severely affected tourists uptake.
So beautiful are the tourist attraction that neighbouring countries are marketing some of our tourist attraction as if they are in their own countries.
Which southern African country does not market the Victoria Falls as if it is their own?
Fine that is what is called regional packaging, but no one packages something that is unattractive.
Spirited malediction of Zimbabwe has seen the country being placed under illegal economic sanctions, hidden behind a smokescreen of targeted sanctions and almost bringing the country’s economy of its knees.
The tourism industry, being the face of Zimbabwe, became scarred by the spirited attacks, bashing, kicking and shoving, prostituting our perception to almost zero.
The sanctions were then immediately laced with a multifarious array travel bans and travel warnings, brutalising the soul of Zimbabwe.
This week, the tourism industry decided to emphatically tell the world that the sanctions are hurting everyone through a two-week long signing of the anti-sanctions papers.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Karikoga Kaseke, declared March 29 to April 11, specifically allocated to the tourism industry to sign the anti-sanctions signatures.
“No one will be forced. Those who are not willing will not be victimised but we have given ourselves until April 11 for our industry to sign.
“We asked not to sign at the Anti-Sanctions Grounds as we now call them because we were participating at some international tourism expositions.
“Now we are back and we have given ourselves time to express our desire to have the sanctions lifted,” said Mr Kaseke at the launch of the campaign for the tourism industry on Tuesday.
Mr Kaseke and willing authority’s staff signed the papers in the presence of the media.
Sector by sector in the tourism industry is expected to append their signatures.
It is laudable for the tourism industry to understand the need to have the sanctions lifted and enable Zimbabwe compete with other tourist attractions on equal footing.
By and large, the tourism industry in Zimbabwe has suffered a lot from regional attractions that were given an unfair advantage by the sanctions.
It is therefore, fact and not fiction that the tourism industry must work with all facets of Government to pressure those who imposed the sanctions to remove them.
Every great journey is started by putting one foot onto the road!
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