Tourism players laud open skies policy

TOURISM players have commended Government’s open skies policy which has seen an increase in flights to Zimbabwe, saying that this will promote Destination Zimbabwe hence the growth of the sector.

This was said during the inaugural Aviation Development Forum held at Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre yesterday on the sidelines of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo.

The forum was jointly run by the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).

Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ)

The event, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, was meant to highlight the crucial role of the aviation sector in driving tourism and fostering economic recovery in Zimbabwe.

In her welcoming remarks, Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry chief director responsible for tourism and hospitality management Ms Tarirai Musonza said as industry they are equally ecstatic with the increased interest by airlines to fly into Zimbabwe post-Covid-19.

“We applaud the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development through the Airport Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) for completing the first phase of upgrading the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport into a modern international airport, able to handle over six million passengers from the 1,5 million passengers handled before the upgrade,” said Ms Musonza.

“This signals a change of discourse in all tourism businesses and projections. The opening up of the new airport which is capable of landing wide-bodied aircraft has been a game changer within the destination. We wholeheartedly appreciate the effort made by the Government to bolster accessibility and tourism arrivals into the country.”

The aviation industry is regarded as the lifeblood of the global economy as it facilitates business efficiency through enhanced safety and security of travellers as well as cargo movement.

The Government’s vision to transform the country into an upper middle-income status by 2030, has inspired the drive towards full implementation of the ‘Open Skies Policy’ as guided by the mantra: “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” and the African Union 2063 Agenda towards a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).

Single African Air Transport Market

Tourism Business Council president Mr Vengai Nhau said air transport has been proven to be the key enabler to the development of tourism.

He said when people visit they intend to maximise time in terms of what they are going to get in return of the time they get.

Mr Nhau said people do not want to spend time travelling between places.

“Air transport remains the life plug of the tourism sector and it has always been the case and it will remain so. That’s why we always emphasise the importance of having efficient air transport,” he said.

Speaking at the plenary discussion during the forum, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport manager, Mr Passmore Dewa said the full implementation of SAATM will assist in the development of the aviation sector.

“If Zimbabwe had to sign the Yamoussoukro Declaration agreement, it would increase the number of passengers by 45 percent,” he said.

The goal of the SAATM is to fully implement the 1999 Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD), which allows all participating countries to lift market access restrictions for airlines, remove restrictions on ownership, grant each other extended air traffic rights, and liberalise flight frequency and capacity limits.

SAATM also seeks to harmonise safety and security regulations in aviation, based on International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements.

Since 2018 the country has been embarking on a programme to strengthen its aviation systems by transforming the sector through the separation of the regulatory and operational functions of the then Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, which prior to that played a dual role.

This culminated in the establishment of the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) in line with global best practices.

When the Second Republic came into being in 2017, only three airlines were utilising the country’s airspace, and the number has jumped to more than 20 airlines flying into the country.

In her address during the breakfast meeting held at a local hotel yesterday, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Barbra Rwodzi said the coming on board of new airlines flying into the country is very much celebrated.

“Aviation is key in stimulating the growth of tourism especially as the country seeks to become one of the key hubs for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism in the region.

“We are therefore happy for the collaborative efforts that exist between the Ministry of Transport and our Ministry,” she said.-chronicle