Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Bulawayo
GOVERNMENT is working on reviving the Tourism Revolving Fund as the facility is critical in promoting products as well as developing tourism infrastructure.
Responding to questions about what the Government was doing to address challenges of access to tourism facilities caused by the poor state of the road network, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said a strategic planning meeting will be held with stakeholders where the issue will be discussed.
She said the tourism fund is critical for improving the country’s image and accessibility to tourism facilities and products.
“That issue is under the tourism fund. Its mandate is to promote and market the product, as well as develop tourism products and infrastructure and so we are looking forward to it. We are going to discuss it thoroughly while doing the strategic planning.
“To cover our backs and to cover operators’ backs to remove the mistrust and gap that has been created, we are going to have an ICT infrastructure that is very strong and thorough.
“The tourism fund belongs to the Government, but when operators receive a client and it is paid to them it becomes theirs and they have to remit. So we are very optimistic that once that is in place you will see a lot of improvements. Let’s give it a little time and once it is in place you will see change,” said Minister Rwodzi.
The Government introduced a $500 million tourism support fund to support the tourism sector’s recovery during the Covid-19 era.
It was meant to guarantee tourism sector players access to working capital in the form of loans from banks.
Concerns have been raised about the state of the road network into tourism resorts and destinations because of the poor road network especially into Matopos National Park from Bulawayo, and the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls and Bulawayo-Binga roads.
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