Retosa developes framework on quality standards harmonisation for tourists

28 Jun, 2015 - 00:06 0 Views
Retosa developes framework on quality standards  harmonisation for tourists Mr Kaseke

The Sunday News

THE Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (Retosa) has developed a regional framework on quality standards harmonisation to ensure that the uni-visa system allows tourists a similar experience across the different destinations in the participating countries.
The creation of a single visa system among Sadc member States, with Zimbabwe and Zambia having hosted the pilot project, is aimed at improving ease of travel and flow of visitors to and within the region as well as businesspersons as a way of boosting intra-regional trade.

Retosa chief executive officer Mr Simba Mandinyenya said Southern Africa was being marketed as a single destination hence the importance of ensuring that there were common standards in all member States.

“We have developed a regional framework on quality standards so that the basics are at least similar so that a visitor does not feel short-changed. Quality must be harmonised and the experience must be the same when it comes to the basics.

The gateway into the region is South Africa so a tourist who enters through that country and proceeds to Zimbabwe or Botswana should see a similarity in quality of service, immigration, accommodation facilities among other basics,” said Mr Mandinyenya.

He said representatives from member states responsible for quality would meet in September to discuss implementation of the harmonisation programme and how to expand the scope.

He said the system went beyond accommodation, but also incorporated other products like food, transportation and other activities.
“Discussions will be held by those responsible for quality standards. We are aware of the concerns on irregularities when it comes to service in the different countries and we are working on the situation,” he said.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke said training programmes were necessary for countries to achieve uniformity in meeting the uni-visa requirements.

“Tourism is a people sector and hospitality begins at the ports of entry with the people at immigration, how they welcome the visitors. There should be no bottlenecks and red tape when it comes to service because the people who visit our destinations become our ambassadors when they return to their respective countries,” said Mr Kaseke.

Zambia Tourism Board managing director Mr Felix Chaila said the tourism visa (uni-visa) should go beyond ports of entry services but allow for the uniformity of standards in the different countries.

“The uni-visa should encompass a uniform look and feel, roads, times taken to process entry and exit at the immigration, roadblocks as well as hospitality. We cannot have one country having numerous roadblocks when another has one or two yet we are marketing the region as a single destination,” said Mr Chaila.

Mr Chaila said if Africa was looking at increasing its tourist arrivals and revenue then there was a need to go beyond the obvious and create a platform to rate the region.

“We are looking too much to long haul markets and not putting enough marketing to attract regional tourists. We need to work together as stakeholders to promote the region,” he said.

Speaking on the progress of the uni-visa system, Retosa marketing director Mr Kwakye Donkor said the Zimbabwe-Zambia pilot bilateral visa served as a good example for other countries with lessons learnt from the two being replicated.

Mr Donkor said the next phase of the project would be implementing it in similar countries in the Kavango Zambezi (Kaza) area.
“There is no specific schedule as it is not an easy programme to get countries to agree to as a visa is a security instrument but progress is being made. There are five other countries outside Kaza on the waiting list to pilot and these include Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa,” said Mr Donkor.

He said within the next two years piloting countries should have made progress.

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