Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality, Sylvester Maunganidze said the country was lobbying for the adoption of the uni-visa among the 15 SADC member states to facilitate the movement of tourists within the region.
He said it was also important for the countries to have uniform hotel standards that would translate to almost the same prizing system.
“There is need for the regional grouping to have uniform hotel standards and we are going to start monitoring our hotel industry, as there are irregularities marring most of our hotels. You find some hotels with no stars at all displaying three stars and we are saying that is not allowed, that is a disservice to the tourism sector,” said Maunganidze.
He also said he was in the process promoting a new concept of community tourism and would be meeting traditional leaders around the country who would be responsible for championing the concept.
He said traditional leaders in Binga had told him government officials should desist from the idea of making decisions in Harare and imposing them on the people.
“The chiefs told me that senior government officials should come down to the people more often and realise the amount of damage caused by making decisions from Harare and imposing them on the people without consultation.
“The traditional leaders in Binga expressed concern over the requirements for them to fish in the Zambezi River saying there was need for medical tests to be conducted before one could be issued with a fishing licence and a permit from the Rural District Council.
I failed to see the logic of the medical examination and therefore failed to answer them why the authorities were insisting on one having it,” he added. He said meeting traditional leaders had been an eye-opener.
“Tourism does not exist at designated sites only. It is through organizing and empowering the communities that we can successfully make the whole country a tourism destination,” he said.
Zimbabwe is currently the chair of the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa.
Post published in: Business