Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube
THE Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe (TBCZ) has commended Zimbabweans for maintaining peace and a violence free environment during election time as this is important to tourism.
Tourism is a very sensitive industry that reacts to any socio-economic and well as political and health issues happening in a destination or across the world.
When Covid-19 broke out in 2019 resulting in total closure of the world by suspending travel, tourism was the worst affected economic sector.
Speaking in Victoria Falls, TBCZ Matabeleland North representative Ms Barbara Murasiranwa said no cancelations were recorded during the election period.
Zimbabweans went into polls on 23 August and the inauguration for the President was done last Monday.
Swearing in of local authority members and Members of Parliament started yesterday.
“We have just gone past elections and we didn’t even have any cancelations during election time because people could feel and see an environment that was free and secure with no violence,” said Ms Murasiranwa.
She said massive developments happening in the tourism destinations particularly in Victoria Falls were a result of the “Zimbabwe is open for Business” mantra being spearheaded by the Second Republic.
She said all the developments are emanating from the fact that the clientele is ready and willing to travel knowing they are safe.
“We have seen Government through the Airports Company of Zimbabwe bringing in new airlines, we cannot have airlines bringing people when there is no infrastructure developed. So it is to complement Government efforts to make sure us as private sector we develop more rooms for people being brought in by airlines.
“Roads are being fixed and it’s confidence that we are now having. We are not going backwards, Covid-19 came and we are past it now,” she said.
Zimbabwe is preparing for the United Nations World Tourism Day celebrations end of this month, with activities already in place as the country observe tourism month.
This comes at a time when the country recorded more than 60 percent increase in arrivals in the first half of the year, with investments increasing by 24 percent compared to the same period last year.
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