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Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT plans to intensify tourism marketing efforts targeting the Asian and Middle East source markets as the country seeks to increase the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the tourism sector is Zimbabwe’s third economic mainstay, contributing about 11 percent to the country’s GDP, a key economic indicator.

Speaking in a wide ranging televised interview with ZBCtv on Monday evening, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira said over the years the country has been focusing more on European source markets.

“We are now going to get into the Middle East. We have not been involved in the Middle East yet we know that those people do have money and where they go for holiday they spend,” said Minister Mupfumira.

“So, we will be going on an Arabian tour to market Zimbabwe and later on to India as well because it would appear we were focusing on one area and leaving the rest of the world, the major source markets.

“China is indeed the biggest source market for tourism and yet they were our friends and we did not take advantage of that”.

On the assertion that Chinese people were not big spenders when it comes to tourism, Minister Mupfumira said:

“I think that’s hearsay. As far as I know and the records that we have from elsewhere, per person they don’t spend less than $1 000 on any visit.

“So, I don’t know what Chinese they are talking about and I’m saying . . . how can it be just Zimbabwe where we are saying they are low spenders and yet they are the biggest throughout the world?”

The minister said Government and other stakeholders in Zimbabwe were working tirelessly to improve the country’s tourism products as well as services such as air transport connectivity.

“We are working with our partners to ensure there is air transport connectivity between Harare and the tourist destinations (Victoria Falls, Tshilo Lodge in Chiredzi area, and Kariba, among others).

“As far as expansion of the airports, it has been done and we can see an influx of tourists into Zimbabwe and there will be also transformation of Victoria Falls International Airport and all our airports such as Buffalo Range,” Minister Mupfumira said.

The Government, she said, was also making frantic efforts to market all the country’s resort centres such as those in the Eastern Highlands and Mazvikadei.

Minister Mupfumira said her ministry was also focusing on promoting domestic tourism.

“We have already started work on seven fallen heroes in Chinhoyi and we are also going to package the Phuphu shrine in Matabeleland North and Shangani where our people had battles with the settlers.

“We are also promoting cultural tourism where each district across the country will have a cultural village where tourists can come and experience typical African villages.”

On her recent trip to China with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Minister said the country had cultivated a lot of positive results for both the public and private sectors. During the visit to the Asian country, Zimbabwe signed a $1 billion tourism Memorandum of Understanding.

“People who really understand economics and the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business concept,’ will know that we brought a lot of positive results. The private sector was involved and I have never seen such a big delegation of Zimbabwe businessmen meeting with Chinese businessmen.

“From the Government side, we got a lot of concessions and contributions in information communication technology, housing development, and education, among others,” said Minister Mupfumira.

Government also plans to make Victoria Falls a financial service centre under the Special Economic Zones model where offshore banking facilities will be established.

The minister said the recent trip to China had generated a lot of interest in that regard. She noted the fact that the two countries were moving away from just being ordinary friends to comprehensive strategic partners which was important in unlocking economic benefits for Zimbabwe.

During the recent visit to China, the country struck deals worth billions of dollars that are expected to see new projects and those that stalled in the previous political dispensationtake off.

@okazunga