The Sunday News
THE first phase of the World Bank supported Kavango Zambezi (Kaza) member States uni-visa pilot project will be launched between Zimbabwe and Zambia at the end of this month, a Cabinet minister said.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said Zimbabwe and Zambia shared a long history in origins and culture as well as a shared heritage site — Victoria Falls.
“Policy instruments that open the destination to international markets are needed and these include open skies and open borders to increase arrivals. At the end of this month, we will be launching the Zimbabwe- Zambia pilot project and eventually into the Kavango- Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area region and across Africa,” he said.
Kaza member States include Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The project is premised on the open border policy that was used between Zimbabwe and Zambia when they co-hosted the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly in August last year.
In an interview, Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (Retosa) marketing and communications director Mr Kwakye Donkor said a lot of work hds been done although he could not give the monetary value of the project before completion.
“Having a uni-visa system will allow tourists to move freely from one country to the other across the region and it means they will be able to spend more, generating more income for tourism,” said Mr Donkor.
He said some of the benefits of implementing a uni-visa include generating more investment as it will not only benefit one country but spread across the region and return on investment will grow quicker.
He said that helped in marketing the region as one destination and when countries work together they are able to assist each other.
Responding to questions on whether challenges of one country would not affect the whole region once packaged as one, Mr Donkor said: “Each country has its own unique opportunities and challenges but collective effort help in dealing with some of the challenges being faced and the unique products will complement each other.”
International buyers, who attended the Sanganai/ Hlanganani expo in Harar, said Southern Africa could enjoy a uni-visa system like East Africa and if that was done it would help the region grow.
Introduction of a uni-visa system to allow free movement of persons across the region is modelled along the lines of the Schengen Visa, which allows people to move freely across European countries that are part of the visa regime.
The Sadc uni-visa has long been under discussion but the process is slow as it involves sectors outside tourism such as security, and multiple legal frameworks.
Retosa said it was not unusual for a uni-visa to launch with a pilot programme, as had been the case with the Schengen visa.
The World Bank is funding logistical meetings enabling Zambian and Zimbabwean sub-committees to finalise frameworks for the pilot scheme as well as technical assistance.
