The Sunday Mail
Ishemunyoro Chingwere
Business Reporter
Government is vigorously pushing to boost the country’s air travel connectivity to the wider world, particularly to traditional tourist markets, to improve tourist arrivals.
The move is anchored on President Mnangagwa’s agenda to boost the sector’s contribution to the economy towards Vision 2030 by which Zimbabwe should be an upper middle income earning country.
South Africa has benefited heavily due to its high connectivity and according to the United Nations World Tourism (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council, South Africa is Africa’s biggest tourist destination with approximately 9,5 million international tourists annually.
Kenya, another highly air connected African destination, in 2017 earned US$1,2 billion from tourism.
However, reports say Zimbabwe might be losing a significant share of the market to mainly South Africa that aggressively markets some of the country’s tourist destinations as its own.
Addressing Team Zimbabwe to this year’s edition of the Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin (ITB Berlin) last week, Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira, said connectivity is one of local tourism’s biggest undoing but Government expects to announce major milestones this year.
Minister Mupfumira’s remarks came after she had been asked on progress made on Government’s talks with leading German Airline, Lufthansa, over its return to Zimbabwean skies after pulling out in 2008.
Talks between Government and Lufthansa started mid last year as part of President Mnangagwa’s engagement and reengagement drive under the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra which is the anchor strategy to return Zimbabwe to the wider community of nations as well as attract international investment.
“We want to continue on an upward increase (on arrivals), we have already broken the record of 1999 and we want to continue with the good work,” said Minister Mupfumira.
“A lot has been happening in the industry throughout the country . . . I know our challenge has been connectivity but its work in very serious progress.
“We hope by the year end we would have really improved on our connectivity and by that I am talking about air travel in particular. We need people to move from Harare, Victoria Falls, Binga, Kariba, Chiredzi, throughout the country so it’s work in very serious progress.
“Well, I am (responsible for) tourism, I have colleagues — the ministry of transport and their CAAZ (Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe), we are all working together to ensure that connectivity is improved,” said the Minister without explicitly naming German’s Lufthansa.
The Minister also encouraged the private sector to continue investing in the sector, which she said is poised for continued growth. “As such, I implore you ladies and gentlemen to keep on investing during the year 2019.”
This year’s edition of the ITB Berlin runs from March 6 to 10 and at least 26 tourism operators have so far registered to be in Team Zimbabwe’s delegation that will exhibit in hall 20 where a 72-square metre stand has been reserved.
It is the Minister’s insinuation of serious talk between Government and Lufthansa that could be a game changer on arrivals into the country.
With 1,2 million flights and a seat load factor of over 80 percent and carrying 142 million passengers in 2018, the Lufthansa Group is Europe’s biggest airliner where Zimbabwe is seeking to wow tourists that can drive a transformation of the local tourism sector.
Lufthansa’s 2018 growth comes on the back of a temporary setback in 2016 which saw the airliner being dethroned as Europe’s biggest air transporter.
