The Sunday News
THE tourism industry has intensified efforts to grow domestic tourism in the country by introducing new models that will see domestic tourists’ figures rising significantly, a cabinet Minister said. Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Engineer Walter Mzembi said the new models would include packages and incentives for the civil service, school tourism as well as a diaspora tourism strategy.
Speaking at the sidelines of the 9th session of Routes Africa in Victoria Falls which was held by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) together with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) in the resort town last week, Minister Mzembi said the strategies would stimulate domestic demand.
“The civil service is the biggest employer and the whole tourism sector is working on a preferential pricing system for this service that we want to offer civil servants. We have already transferred the model to the employer, the Civil Service Commission, and we are confident of the benefits that will come from this strategy,” said Minister Mzembi.
He said this particular model was already under way with the Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) having a product in place to cater for civil servants.
Minister Mzembi said another important way of stimulating domestic demand was promoting the “know your country” product aimed at creating an awareness of the potential of the country and its products.
“We have already decided as a sector that our strategy with this product is to catch them young hence school tourism. Like the civil service product, this is also in motion with talks with public transporters going on. We want these school children from all over the country to tour Zimbabwe and visit all the resort areas, understand and appreciate the flora and fauna, the wildlife and every other product that makes this country special,” he said.
Minister Mzembi said the last strategy is the “come back home campaign” aimed at Zimbabweans living outside the country popularly known as diasporans.
“We want this group to make holidaying at home first choice,” said Minister Mzembi.
ZTA chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke said the role of tourism in economic development in any country could not be understated and tourism should be seen as a strategy that is supported by all other sectors.
“Tourism plays a major role in boosting the country’s economy and domestic tourism should be promoted to boost figures,” he said.
In an interview, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Victoria Falls chapter chairperson Mr Jonathan Hudson said tour operators had come up with new products to keep tourists happy like the canopy tour with Wild Horizons, the Zambezi Explorer which provides cruises, lunches and dinners on the Zambezi River as well as the fact that various hotels had been upgrading and doing refurbishments to meet international standards.
Mr Hudson said one of the strategies that the sector had been employing was the promotion of meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions tourism to cushion the low season period.
“Conferences always contribute to tourism through room occupancy and revenue. They help bring awareness to a destination and a country. The image of Zimbabwe is hot property but the successful co-hosting of the UNWTO summit has helped boost our international image,” he said.
Mr Hudson said Zimbabwe was being seen as a destination capable of playing host to any number of delegates.
He said the hospitality sector was keen on promoting domestic tourism as well as MICE tourism to cement the country’s position as an attractive destination.
Routes Director Katie Bland commended the ZTA for being highly professional and playing host to the largest Routes Africa event to date.