The Sunday Mail
With the assistance of Tunisia based regional financier African Development Bank (AfDB), Government will soon engage the services of a consultant to develop a National Tourism Masterplan that is expected to provide direction to tourism development, marketing and promotion strategies.
The master plan is also expected to spell out strategies on product diversification, infrastructure development, manpower development, community participation, preservation of nature, culture and heritage.
Last year, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) helped Government develop a draft plan that was envisaged to increase tourist arrivals from 2,2 million to five million by 2015. Jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry were also projected to more than double to 450 000, while the country’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product was expected to rise from 10 percent to 15 percent.
It is believed that a sustainable tourism master plan can guide growth and development in the sector for the next 15 years.
Part of the communication that was released by the AfDB reads, “The Government of Zimbabwe has received funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) towards the cost of the Youth and Tourism Enhancement Project, and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this grant to payments under the contract for consultancy services in the development of a National Tourism Masterplan.
“The services included under this project are to develop a clear and concise National Tourism Masterplan. It will provide direction to product development and diversification, infrastructure development, manpower development, community participation, preservation of nature, culture and heritage, marketing and promotion strategies, among others.”
Zimbabwe recently received a US$12,2 million grant from the AfDB, with US$4,2 million specifically targeted at the Youth and Tourism Enhancement Project (YTEP) while US$8 million is earmarked for the Governance and Institutional Strengthening Project (GISP).
The projects under YTEP and GISP are aimed at improving transparency and effectiveness in public finance and economic management and contribute towards the reduction of poverty and youth unemployment through the creation of an enabling environment for youth and tourism development, respectively.
AfDB resident representative Mr Mateus Magala has indicated that the projects will empower the youths on governance and tourism sectors in line with Zim Asset and will lead to economic growth and development.
“The bank’s support to the YTEP and GISP is consistent with the Government priorities as enshrined in the Medium Term Plan (MTP 2011-2-15) and Zim Asset 2013-2018 as well as the bank’s 2013-2022 strategy that focuses on growth that is inclusive across age, gender and geographies.
“Thus these projects are designed to seize the youth dividend by enhancing the skills of Zimbabwean youth for improved employability, job creation, competitiveness and development of the private sector and poverty reduction,” said Mr Magala during the launch of the grant in May this year.
In particular, the YTEP is expected to increase access to employment and financing towards entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises development.
The youth make up over half of the country’s 13 million population.
YTEP seeks to conduct youth capacity building in entrepreneurship development through the training of 1 000 youths in 42 Vocational Training Centres in carpentry, horticulture, motor mechanics, brick and block, fabrication engineering, clothing technology, tourism and hospitality and ICT.
It also involves strengthening the management information system at the Ministry of Tourism and developing the Central Business Observatory at the Ministry of Small to Medium Enterprises.
The database will link all 72 districts of the 10 provinces to the central system in the SME Ministry in Harare.
