Too many roadblocks frustrate tourists: ZTA

roadblock (2)

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) says too many roadblocks on the country’s roads are scaring away visitors thereby frustrating earnings from the tourism sector.

In an emotional speech he delivered soon after the inaugural Kenya Airways flight into Victoria Falls on Monday, ZTA chief executive officer Dr Karikoga Kaseke said too many roadblocks were making the country’s prime tourism destination — Victoria Falls – unattractive at a time when everyone’s efforts were directed towards rebranding the country and attracting tourists.

He said stopping tourists four times on a 20km stretch between Victoria Falls town and Victoria Falls International Airport shows “disrespect” for visitors and tarnishes the country’s image.

“Visitors want to go where they are respected. Being stopped on four roadblocks when coming from the hotel in town to the airport, is that respecting our visitors? Surely we will not go anywhere with this kind of set up,” said Dr Kaseke.

He said the ZTA had raised the issue with the executive as the roadblocks are negating the country’s programmes of revitalising the tourism sector, which is one of the key drivers of the economy as espoused in the economic blueprint, Zim-Asset.

“I have engaged the Vice President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) about this and he promised to talk to Minister Chombo (Ignatius of Home Affairs) because police roadblocks are making this destination unattractive,” he said.

“Minister Gumbo (Joram) you are here and hearing this, probably you were not stopped because you are a minister but all of us were stopped and the things they (police) ask for aren’t asked for by any police officer anywhere in the world.”

VP Mnangagwa acknowledged the concern from ZTA during a plenary session at the just ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) International Business Conference last week and pledged to engage Minister Chombo to resolve the issue.

It is not the first time the tourism industry has complained about police roadblocks on the country’s roads.

Last year players in the industry raised the issue to VP Mnangagwa in Victoria Falls saying some tourists have been delayed while some missed their flights after being stopped several times on the roadblocks.

They even said some tourists have been ticketed for driving dirty cars when they will be actually coming from game drives heading to town.

Meanwhile, turning to the launch of KQ, as Kenya Airways is popularly known, Dr Kaseke said the development was a precursor for greater things to come.

The airline will operate three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays on the Nairobi, Victoria Falls and Cape Town Route and serviced by an Embraer E190 plane.

Victoria Falls becomes KQ’s only second destination in Zimbabwe, after Harare where the airliner has already been operating 21 flights weekly.

“This is a route Kenya Airways are developing. Major beneficiary is the tourism industry because visitors will be able to combine the Victoria Falls wonder with other attractions in Cape Town, Mombasa and others. We therefore call upon domestic and regional carriers to up their game while the tourism industry should also make sure the air industry isn’t let down, we need to deliver on the ground for tourism,” he said.

Dr Kaseke said the coming in of Kenya Airways will go a long way in addressing bottlenecks in the aviation sector.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe board chairman Advocate  Thembinkosi Magwaliba re-affirmed commitment by the country to open skies in line with the Yamasokou Agreement.

“We are proud as Victoria Falls to have been included in Kenya Airways’ expansion vision, which follows aggressive route development by the airline, which started in 2012 under Project Mawingo to establish 24 routes to add to the existing ones by 2021. As Zimbabwe we reaffirm our policy to open skies,” he said.

Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Sifiso Mpofu said more planes coming into the resort town are key to the town’s growth.

@ncubeleon

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