HARARE - Zimbabwe is expected to have a new tourism policy next year aimed at boosting tourists’ receipts to over $5 billion in six years.
The country’s tourism revenue declined to $1 billion last year from $2,4 billion realised in 2011.
Karikoga Kaseke, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA)’s chief executive, said his organisation was currently revising the current national tourism marketing strategy to align it with the new economic blue print — Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset).
“We are going to have a national tourism growth strategy vision 2020,” he told businessdaily, adding that “we are almost through with the draft document and it will soon be taken to relevant stakeholders for their input.” Kaseke said the document is expected to be launched next March.
The country has since the turn of the millennium experienced massive negative perception in the European and American markets when the government embarked on the controversial and mostly chaotic land reform programme meant to address colonial land imbalances.
However, the formation of the inclusive government in early 2009 — which brought political and economic stability — saw most major source markets lifting travel warnings on the country, as the international community warmed up to Zimbabwe’s political developments.
Despite the significant strides made by ZTA to market “destination Zimbabwe” in the four-year tenure of the inclusive government, liquidity constraints continue to hamper the organisation’s efforts to reach other potential tourism markets.
For the new policy to succeed, Kaseke said government would have to fork out close to $120 million in the next six years earmarked for marketing the country.