In a recent interview conducted on the sidelines of the Hotel Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) annual congress being held in Mutare from Wednesday till Saturday, the chairman of Eastern Highlands Experience (EHE), William Chatigu told this reporter that the present situation is unsatisfactory for tourism operators.
“The Eastern Highlands is depressed in terms of travel and tourism activity with the short to medium term outlook looking bleak. The key contributor to this situation is the absence of a scheduled air service. This continues to hamper the full potential of the region’s hospitality industry,†said Chatigu.
The present old airport has been neglected for years. Politicians and business lobby groups alike seem to be of the opinion that Mutare is the odd one out since all other major cities such as Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Masvingo have fully functional airports.
“Modern tourists want to fly to directly to their destination, they don’t want to land at Harare and then drive all the way to Mutare or Nyanga facing the constant hassle of police roadblocks along the way,” said Chatigu.
Chatigu believes that Mutare can never be classified as a modern city if it doesn’t have an airport that will boost investment opportunities, increase tourism, generate employment and improve the infrastructure of the eastern border city.
“This is an issue that has been troubling the industry for a long time. Mutare is the third largest city in the country, but it doesn’t have an airport. It does not make logical sense,” he said.
Chatigu believes that government should tackle the construction of the airport as part of its Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation document (ZIMASSET).
“As a business group, we know of people in various countries who would be eager to tour the majestic resorts in this province, but they can’t because we don’t have an airport,” he said.
“It is sad that visitors from South Africa and other international countries have not come back in numbers previously seem since the implementation of President Mugabe’s infamous land reform programme in 2000. Tourists are put off by political and social upheavals,†added Chatigu.
The persistent fuel shortages during 2000 have also heavily impacted tourism. Tourists have a huge fear of using the Beit Bridge border post for reasons well known to everyone,†he said.
Chatigu explained that traffic into and out of Mozambique was also been affected in recent years by the resurgence of Renamo in that country. “This has reduced the number of people travelling between the two countries for leisure and other purposes, thereby reducing overnight requirements,†he said adding that the huge reduction in industrial, commercial and agricultural activity in Manicaland had also severely affected the hospitality industry.
EHE promotional programme will take an active role in marketing the Eastern Highlands as a desirable destination. In the interim, the hospitality industry players in Vumba bemoan the ongoing neglect of the Vumba Road, claiming that it grossly affects business.
The truly bad part of the road is the eight km stretch from Mutare to the Vumba where it is almost impassable and marked with giant pot holes. Numerous requests for repairs have been made to Zinara and the Ministry of Roads to rehabilitate the road, but all to no avail.
The tourism industry is now concerned that the rainy season is approaching and that this will even worsen the state of the road, thereby negatively affecting their business even more.
Contacted for a comment, the Manicaland roads engineer, John Ruwende said that the road had not been repaired due to lack of funds and said they were waiting for financial assistance from Zinara.
Vumba is home to a natural wonder, the Vumba Mountains, affectionately known as The Mountains of Mist. Tourist resorts include the Bunga Forest area with its woodland reserves, magnificent footpaths, natural streams, majestic views and varied bird life. There is also the spectacular Castle Beacon and Chinyakwaremba Heights among others.
Post published in: Business