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President Mnangagwa launches Tourism strategy.

The National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy was yesterday launched by President Mnangagwa as he led the restart of the sector, whose contribution to the national economy has been heavily crippled by the outbreak of Covid-19.

By Antonnate S.Mugodi

He also officially re-opened the Victoria Falls Rainforest, signaling the country’s readiness to welcome visitors into the prime resort destination.

The tourism and hospitality industry is one of the key foreign currency earners in the country and employs thousands of people along the value chain.

Zimbabwe, despite the Covid-19 dent on arrivals, expects to leverage on internal competencies around domestic tourism to unlock wider potential and enhance operators’ capacities on the interim.

According to the President, the tourism sector has an important role to play in the attainment of the national vision as one for the four pillars underpinning economic growth alongside agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

“The National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy we are launching today, is anchored on Zimbabwe’s vision to be a prime international tourist destination based in the judicious and sustainable exploitation of the unique assets of nature, culture, heritage and the built environment.

“The strategy is informed by the Government’s Vision 2030 to become an upper middle income economy characterised by increased investment, decent jobs and a populace free from poverty and corruption,” said the President.

“The high growth target of this strategy, which seeks to achieve a US$5 billion tourism economy by year 2025 is ambitious and yet achievable.This strategy will also facilitate robust investment into the tourism sector to create employment and help support livelihoods.”

Workers in this sector were been challenged to work hard in order for them to achieve increased domestic and international tourist arrivals, room occupancy and higher tourist expenditures.

The government has availed a $500 million guarantee facility for access by the sector to support Covif-19 affected entities to stay afloat and save jobs.
This is part of the $18 billion Stimulus Package recently unveiled by Treasury in response to the pandemic.

President Mnangagwa called on the tourism sector to re-examine its pricing models to complement the need for tourists to enjoy benefits of products on offer.

President Mnangagwa said while the lockdown period has crippled arrivals, it has led to the reinvigoration of the falls themselves and the renewal of the ecosystem and the surrounding environment.

“As it stands now, like all other sectors of the economy, tourism has to look inward for survival. In the absence of regional and international tourist arrivals, the industry has to place its focus on domestic tourism to preserve jobs and livelihoods,” said the Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Ndlovu.

“We will not be deterred by the virus. We, therefore, remain hopeful that the tourism industry will rise again and our vision of a US$5 billion tourism economy will be attained,” said the minister.

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