Nyasha Chatambudza

Business Reporter

PLAYERS in the local tourism sector are working with their counterparts in Malawi to synergise relationships that will facilitate the movement of tourists in the two countries.

In an interview Air Malawi area manager for Zimbabwe Mr Rodwell Magwaya said officials drawn from travel agents from Zimbabwe toured Malawi recently to share notes with those in Malawi with the aim to facilitate travelling of tourists between the two countries.

“Zimbabwe has been of great help to our country’s tourism sector as it is bringing tourists mainly to see Lake Malawi. Most of the tourists come to Malawi after visiting the Victoria Falls.

“Ten travel agents from the cities of Bulawayo and Harare were sent to Malawi to implement what the tourism sector here has to offer and to learn what our country has in tourism,” he said.

He said the travel agents had a tour of the various hotels in the country explaining how tourism in Zimbabwe has managed to rebound over the last few years.

“The tour included networking with the travel agents from Malawi where discussions were mainly centred on how Zimbabwe has managed to attract more international tourists and how they can maintain international standards at their hotels,” he said.

Mr Magwaya said the itinerary of Zimbabwe travel agents in Malawi was planned to cater for places or cities that deal with a large number of tourists.

“The destinations were strategically planned bearing in mind the fact that they are the routes which most tourists visit. They visited places such as Blantyre, Lake Malawi and Lilongwe,” he said.

Mr Magwaya said the visit of the travel agents was of great help as they managed to implement some of the working systems of Zimbabwe so as to attract more tourists.

“Malawi will want to be in the international arena like Zimbabwe, so it was of importance that we got some assistance from the travel agents as this move will benefit our country’s tourism sector to qualify internationally.

He said although Air Zimbabwe was not able to service its routes fully, other airlines were keen on expanding into the country as it had great potential.

“Although Zimbabwe’s national airline is not fully operational, some airlines even Air Malawi is still flying into this country (Zimbabwe) as they are certain that there is still business,” he said.

He added that Zimbabwe’s tourism was growing as Government was keen to promote and conserve resources.

“Our tourism sector is lacking due to the fact it is given less promotion than our Zimbabwean counterparts who take pride in all their nation provides and know how to market it thus drawing a huge number of tourists internationally and having the privilege of hosting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly 2013.”