Zimbabwe's travel, tourism business levels drops in first 9 months

Published: 18 October 2019
Zimbabwe's travel and tourism sector business levels in the first 9 months to September recorded a 5% and 10% drop respectively when compared to the same period last year, with industry officials attributing the downward trend to the worsening country perception and deteriorating economic conditions.
 
Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe (TBCZ) President Winnie Muchanyuka told FinX that that Zimbabweans remains active in driving awareness of its tourist attractions despite the well-known economic constraints that impede campaigns such as many competitors across the world are undertaking.
 
Muchanyuka said the problems facing the travel and tourism sector are the same as those for other economic sectors and these have been exacerbated by the poor payment systems on international cards as some banks have not fully reconfigured their systems to differentiate between local currency and the US$.
 
"Key to future success will be increased international marketing; cost controls with regard to all operational activity leading to price competitiveness; retention of a stable operating environment; elimination of obstacles to operational efficiency such as power and fuel shortages; creation and ongoing effort to protect the natural resources that are the foundation of Zimbabwe's travel and tourism such as wildlife and the natural habitat of the country," she said.
 
"The fortunes of travel and tourism are inextricably linked to those of the operating environment around it. Where there is socio-political and economic stability, as well as investment in resources and infrastructure, there is progress."
 
The country's tourist arrivals for the first half of 2019 marginally declined by 3% to 1.11 million from 1.14 million in the same period last year. Of the total, Africa, America, Asia contributed 921 324, 47 099, 47 223 respectively. Europe, Middle East and Oceania accounted for 79 939, 3 513 and 16 244 in that order.

Along with mining and agriculture, the tourism industry is expected to play a key role in generating the much-needed foreign currency and creating employment. Under the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy - Vision 2025, government targets to increase tourist arrivals to over 5.5 million by 2023, as well as growing tourism receipts from $1 billion in 2017 to $3.5 billion by 2023.
- finx
Tags: Travel,

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