HARARE - In a country where the economy has virtually collapsed, unemployment reached scandalous levels and the government does not know whether it is coming or going, it is refreshing that we have the minister of Tourism Walter Mzembi and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke, trying to give the nation some light.
Last week, Zimbabwe received two awards from the European Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT).
Mzembi was also awarded membership of the ECTT academy.
Historically, tourism is the third biggest foreign currency earner after mining and agriculture and it is refreshing to see the ministry of Tourism and ZTA battling hard under difficult circumstances, to market Zimbabwe as a major tourist destination.
It is painful to witness South Africans for instance, marketing Victoria Falls as a part of their tourism destination and indeed the South Africans have benefitted immensely judging by the number of daily flights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls. And tourists use South African Airways and British Airways.
Mzembi and Kaseke need all the support from government to pursue their dreams of taking back Zimbabwe to where it was — the best tourist destination in Africa.
No one will forget how successfully Zimbabwe co-hosted the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly with Zambia last year through the tireless efforts of Mzembi and Kaseke.
We couldn’t agree more with President Robert Mugabe when he publicly announced that Mzembi was one of his best ministers.
“I never say so to my ministers but I rate him (Mzembi) as one of my best ministers.
“He is forthright and he is full of brilliant ideas. They don’t remain in the mind but he makes them take form and he acts upon them. Yes, he has gallivanted across the world from the north to the south but every step he has taken has been to make Zimbabwe better known,” said Mugabe.
Mugabe went on to encourage Mzembi to market domestic tourism which we also agree with.
We also urge Mzembi and Kaseke to market other tourist destinations like the Lowveld which houses the Gonarezhou National Park, the crocodile-infested Save River, Chilojo Cliffs and probably the best accommodation in the country — Pamushana Safari Lodge which is part of Malilangwe Trust.
Gonarezhou National Park offers easier sightings of the country’s big five — lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino than Hwange National Park. But it seems all tourists want to visit Victoria Falls and Kariba yet we have the wonderful Lowveld which also needs to be exploited.
We trust Mzembi and Kaseke will deliver on this one.