Call for Government, private sector to collaborate to spur growth in tourism sector

PLAYERS in the tourism sector have called for increased collaboration between the Government and the private sector in sprucing up critical infrastructure such as roads and telecommunications networks to enhance the growth of the sector.
While Zimbabwe is endowed with exciting natural heritage and historic tourism sites that attract large numbers of tourists every year, stakeholders in the sector have stressed the need to scale up the development of quality roads for smooth travel.

Contributing during a consultative tourism policy review workshop hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry in Bulawayo last Wednesday, tourism operators said enhanced domestic tourism must be supported by adequate infrastructure upgrades.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe representative in Bulawayo, Mrs Beauty Bhulu, who is the founder of Glen Lodge and Tours said most visitors who use cars complain about the state of roads, especially in Bulawayo. She said as a result the accessibility of tourist sites, hotels, and lodges is a challenge due to poor roads.

“We are pleading for the urgent rehabilitation of roads, which will allow visitors to easily access tourism and hospitality facilities around the city and the nation at large,” said Mrs Bhulu.
“We are also calling for the Government to look into local air transport. As a country, we don’t have problems when it comes to international air links, but locally we don’t have any. To boost domestic tourism, we need to have domestic air facilities.”
Mrs Bhulu also said the Government and private sector service providers should invest more in broadening internet connectivity, especially in remote areas. She said public places like bus terminus and parks should be connected to the Internet.

“We can’t say we don’t have Internet, but there is a need to boost the connectivity, especially in public places like the city hall and bus terminus,” she said.
“You find out that at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport the connectivity is poor such that visitors can’t even update their loved ones on their arrival or departure. Hotels have internet but it’s poor and it’s expensive.”

Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport

While the Government has been working on road rehabilitation through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, stakeholders say more still needs to be done.

They, however, commended the upgrading of aviation facilities such as the massive works underway at the Robert Mugabe International Airport and the refurbishment of airstrips in different districts, including the Binga, which is now open for use.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) head of corporate affairs communications, Mr Godfrey Koti, said roads like the Harare-Kariba Road and the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls were in a bad state and need urgent rehabilitation.

Mr Godfrey Koti

“We are grateful to the Government for its road rehabilitation programme but there are some roads, which we think need to be looked into to make sure that our tourists move smoothly to different tourism destinations in the country,” he said.
Tourism is one of the key economic pillars and the sector is expected to contribute more towards economic growth in line with the upper middle-income economy vision by 2030.
Under the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy, the Government expects to increase tourism earnings to US$5 billion by 2025. –chronicle