Govt to reopen tourism industry

THE tourism industry is set to reopen, at first for the domestic market, and a tourism recovery strategy is set to be launched by Government next week.

The tourism industry is the formal sector hardest hit by Covid-19 and the resulting bans and restrictions on travel, resulting in tour operators and hotels closing indefinitely owing to lack of business.

Government is engaging stakeholders to build up domestic tourism, which over the years was overlooked in favour of international travellers.

Few Zimbabweans could afford to visit tourism resorts, but Government is working on addressing the pricing structure as part of the re-opening strategy.

Government has already developed guidelines to reopen the sector ahead of the launch of the tourism recovery strategy next week.

A Government delegation led by Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu and Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo, visited Victoria Falls on Monday to meet industry players and the municipality to discuss ways of re-opening the sector for domestic tourism.

In an interview, Minister Ndlovu said post-Covid-19, domestic tourism will sustain the sector before international travel can be revived.

“We are here for a number of reasons, the main one being that we are looking at the tourism town of Victoria Falls and a number of issues as we are contemplating that sooner than later, the possibility of opening up particularly for domestic tourism,” he said after the meeting in Victoria Falls.