UNWTO commits to support Zim tourism
THE United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says it is committed to working with the Government to measure the value of the tourism’s contribution to Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product.
Recently, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) announced that it was intensifying efforts to establish a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which will measure performance of the tourism industry.
The TSA was developed by UNWTO after realisation that some economies were failing to accurately measure tourism’s contribution and economic impact.
In a statement, UNWTO said Zimbabwe has identified tourism as a central pillar of its National Development Strategy, (NDS 1), which anchors the economy over the next five years (2021-2025).
“To reflect this, UNWTO is now working with the Government on the development of the country’s first TSA.
“The TSA will measure tourism’s contribution to Zimbabwe’s GDP as well as its size relative to other sectors and the number of jobs it generates.
“It will also allow the Government to measure the value of public and private investment related to the sector and the effect of international tourism on the country’s balance of payments,” said the world tourism body.
The major objective of TSA is to measure the value of public and private investment related to tourism, the effect of international tourism on a country’s balance of payments as well as the value of Government income generated by tourism in the country.
UNWTO director for Africa Ms Elcia Grandcourt was quoted as saying, “We are delighted to work again with Zimbabwe in this important endeavour. “We are committed to supporting the Government in providing clear data that can help guide key decisions for tourism’s recovery and growth.”
The TSA initiative forms part of the four-year Zimbabwe destination development programme, a technical assistance initiative supported by International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank group.
It is being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and sponsored by the government of Japan.
The programme supports the recovery of Zimbabwe’s tourism industry and aims to safeguard thousands of jobs amid a sharp decline in travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Mr Munesu Munodawafa was quoted by the UNWTO as saying: “As we continue to invest in the recovery and re-development of tourism across Zimbabwe, we must be able to accurately measure the importance of tourism to the country’s economy.
“The development of the TSA is one of the key milestones for the sector under the NDS1 (2021-2025).
“This tool is critical to aid Government’s decision making and evidence-based policy formulation for a sustainable and resilient tourism sector post Covid-19.” —-ebusinessweekly.c.zw
