The Sunday Mail
Prince Mushawevato in Bulawayo
VICE-President Phelekezela Mphoko has said Government is determined to address challenges affecting advancement of Zimbabwe’s tourism sector. In a speech read on his behalf by Minister of State in his Office Tabitha Malinga-Kanengoni at the official opening of the ninth Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo here last week, VP Mphoko said Government recognised that tourism contributed to national socio-economic objectives and the sector thus required serious investment in marketing and destination promotion.
“Zimbabwe has not been able to realise its full potential in tourism due to various factors that Government is determined to address.
‘‘Chief among them is the national investment in the tourism sector ranging from the financial resources required by the tourism private sector to the funding of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to market the destination,” he said.
The local tourism sector faces challenges such as lack of policy co-ordination among key enabler Government departments, poor road networks, inadequate skills, weak domestic demand and limited ICT capacities.
“Government is investing substantial amounts of money in infrastructural development as exemplified by the Victoria Falls and Joshua Nkomo international airports, which need traffic from both local and international airlines.
‘‘Tourism therefore remains a serious justification for these investments and I would like to challenge the sector to ensure full utilisation of these facilities by generating the necessary passenger traffic,” said VP Mphoko.
“On its part Government has instituted serious measures such as the easing of entry requirements, reforms in the visa regime and the adoption of open skies policies in a bid to enable the tourism sector to. However more still needs to be on the enabler front if our tourism is to grow significantly.”
The next three editions of Sanganai/Hlanganani will be held in Bulawayo as a deliberate strategy to revamp tourism in southern Zimbabwe. ‘‘The show has been interchangeably held in Harare and Bulawayo.
ZTA chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke said, “We will be hosting the next three editions of Sanganai/Hlanganai in this city. ‘‘Tourism in this region has hit an all time low and I hope with this expo will help create synergies that make things improve.” In all, 220 exhibitors participated in this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani, including 35 are foreign exhibitors and 128 international buyers.
Sanganai/Hlanganani is the equivalent of regional shows like South Africa’s Indaba, the Zambia Travel Expo, the Namibia Tourism Expo and Descubra Mozabique Tourism Expo.
