The Sunday Mail
Enacy Mapakame
HARARE hotels and lodges are fully booked for the upcoming International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (ICASA), Zimbabwe Council for Tourism president Mr Francis Ngwenya has said.
But confirmed bookings — where payment has been made — are still low.
According to the ZCT, in addition to lodges, there are 24 hotels in Harare ranging from two to five-star facilities. Other destinations outside Harare are expected to benefit as well.
Mr Ngwenya said the country should leverage on the conference to boost occupancies and market Zimbabwe as a safe tourism destination.
“In the next few weeks, we look forward to similar success with the ICASA conference, which will, we hope, provide another major boost to Harare’s operators and elsewhere including those in Victoria Falls,” he said at a Press briefing in Harare last week.
“These two events show the value of increased MICE tourism to the entire sector and we must work towards a major increase in the amount of business created by a wider recognition of Zimbabwe as a destination for conference gatherings.”
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Engineer Walter Mzembi told Parliament on Wednesday that all was set for the ICASA conference. Organisers are outsourcing accommodation services to homeowners.
Mr Ngwenya also believes that limited financial support is preventing sector players from effectively marketing the country as a safe destination despite being endowed with world-class resorts.
