Hoteliers fret over low tourist volumes
HOTELIERS here are fretting over low volumes of international travellers owing to the inaccessibility of the region’s major tourist destinations by air, despite a slight increase in the average occupancy rate in the third quarter.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) chairman for Manicaland Province, Mr Clive Chinwada told The Herald that hotel occupancy in the province was averaging 60 percent, about two percent higher than the same time last year.
He said the demand was largely driven by local business travel and conferencing.
“There is still a lot of work required to make sure Manicaland attracts the international and regional leisure traveller, who tends to spend more and brings the much needed foreign currency,” he said.
“Current demand is 90 percent plus and is skewed towards domestic travel.”
Mr Chinwada said the risk premium of travelling to Mutare at the moment was too high because there was no airport to facilitate easy and quick movement of people and goods.
“Major challenges faced by the industry pertain to the inability for international travellers to access the destination by air,” he said.
“This means that Manicaland cannot compete both at the national and regional level, for instance, Mozambique has a better domestic air transport network, which includes destinations like Manica.”
The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry regards the Eastern Highlands as a key strategic tourist hotspot with a capacity to generate over half a billion dollars annually in receipts once proper marketing and infrastructure investment was in place.
But the challenge of accessibility of the major attractions by the international market has been a deterrent for foreign visitors.
To remedy this, the Manicaland business community in August launched a campaign for the construction of a commercial and cargo airport in Mutare as part of efforts to lure foreign travellers, as well as open the province to direct export markets.
The consortium identified the Grand Reef Airbase, 15 kilometres west of Mutare town, as the potential location of the proposed airport that could unlock economic growth and employment in the province.
Inaccessibility is, however, not the only constraint being faced by the industry, as cost structures remain punitively high despite most industries making minimal profits.
“The other challenge we have relates to cost structures that remain high at a time when the average daily rates have either been stagnant or are falling,” said Mr Chinwada.
“We need to look at all aspects that drive competitiveness with a view to reduce costs and ease of doing business.”
Mr Chinwada said the average daily rate was pegged at $70, but despite these challenges, the industry was optimistic that it would finish the year on a high note.
“The industry in Manicaland will have a strong finish to the year as the later half of the year is characteristically the peak season,” he said.
“When you look at the industry as whole, we are holding our own and hope to continue on this path into next year.”