Isn’t it time we painted those roofs?

20 Sep, 2020 - 00:09 0 Views
Isn’t it time we painted those roofs?

The Sunday News

Phineas Chauke

IT is spring season for the tourism industry. All manner of tourists, both domestic and international, is sniffing the air for that destination with the sweetest scent about it. Tourist destinations are like brides waiting to be unveiled to the anticipating grooms.

Surely we, as destination Zimbabwe, cannot appear on that aisle with yesterday’s outfit.

We do have awesome stuff that can attract and captivate tourists as we restart tourism, but honestly some of our infrastructure need to be spruced up and some of our backyards need “spring cleaning”.

That will show how serious we are about emerging as a tourism giant on the other side of Covid-19. A new song is in order, we cannot continue humming the old tune if we aspire to keep up with the rest of the world or better still urge ahead of global competition.

If we, at national or corporate level are banking on our yesteryear best to rock the market in the “new era” then we might just be in for a big surprise. It is important to understand that urban centres are a big part of our stock of tourist attractions and they each have unique stories about them.

While we have very nice views around our cities, some buildings look dilapidated and neglected, with flaking paint and the walls and rusty metal roofs.

Viewing the city from the firth floors of any of the high-rise buildings in our cities you may not be happy with some of the views around you. Some roofs look really nasty.

One would wish there was some clause in the city by-laws that forces building owners to keep them looking good for the sake of the city’s image.

Surely the owners of those buildings should not be enjoying receiving rentals from tenants without making any effort to maintain them in good state.

If forcing building owners to maintain their properties is not possible may be a campaign just to persuade them to do so might achieve some positive developments. Sometimes, people get comfortable with situations that are not normal.

One day I was looking in disbelief at an occupied half burnt building in the country’s second capital city, Bulawayo.

The building is by the side of a busy road linking the Central Business District and some residential suburbs. Ironically a sign in front of the building indicates that it is owned and occupied by a ministry that is responsible for construction and development of infrastructure.

Maybe, just maybe we can try to boost the appearance of our cities for improved ambience and to manage impressions.

Apart from the superficial appearance of buildings, it is also very important to ensure they have all the necessary facilities that make them suitable for use by people of different ages and levels of physical ability.

Functional, well serviced elevators and wheel chair ramps help people with disabilities to access different parts of buildings.

As we think of developing the domestic tourism market it is important for us to have an inclusive view that does not sideline people with disabilities and the elderly.

The feeling I get each time I am a tourist is absolutely priceless and I believe everybody deserves such an experience.

It is not only city buildings that need attention. Our roads have to be improved for increased safety and comfort of those travelling to the various tourist attractions across our beautiful country.

It would not be fair to fail to acknowledge the efforts made by the Government in improving roads in the country. More, however, needs to be done in that area. Recently I saw a picture of a tollgate that was trending on social media for the wrong reasons.

The toll gate was purported to be along one of our highly strategic highways.

The structure was bended to one side and it appeared really dangerous as it looked like it could collapse on top of passing vehicles. While such infrastructure is administratively not under the purview of the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, it does contribute to the overall performance of the industry and country image.

It is therefore imperative to have a genuine multi-sectorial collaboration in the implementation of the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy. We need our best foot forward on the return of tourism.

Phineas Chauke is a Tourism Consultant, Marketer and Tour Guide. Contact him on 0776058523, [email protected]

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