Zimbabwe must strive to maintain peace and security to enable its tourism sector to thrive, Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi said on Wednesday. He said tourism, the fastest growing sector in the economy, could only thrive in a peaceful and stable environment.
"We are all aware of what happens when a tourism destination is plagued with violence and insecurity," he said while addressing a press conference.
He noted that attractive destinations in turmoil-hit North Africa were losing tourists to Southern Africa which he said was rapidly becoming a haven of peace.
"So we need to keep Zimbabwe and the region peaceful and secure, " he said while also stressing the importance of peaceful elections envisaged soon.
Zimbabwe's tourism sector has registered phenomenal growth in recent years and has overtaken agriculture to become the second largest contributor to Gross Domestic Product after mining.
Mzembi said they expected tourism contribution to GDP to rise from 9 percent last year to 15 percent and to double tourist arrivals to 5 million by 2015.
However, the minister expressed concern that the country's traditional source markets in Europe had introduced measures that will discourage their nationals from travelling to Africa and other developing countries.
Following the economic meltdown, the European Union has urged member countries to introduce various airport departure taxes which make it more attractive for Europeans to visit within their own countries and the EU rather than venture far out, he said.
In this regard, Mzembi said it was important for Zimbabwe and the Southern African region to develop strategies that will ensure the survival and growth of their tourism sectors.
He said integration of the region into a single tourism destination was one such strategy, underpinned by the region's transfrontier conservation areas such as the Kavango-Zambezi and the Great Limpopo.
Kavango-Zambezi is potentially the world's largest conservation area, spanning five southern African countries: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and is centered around the Caprivi- Chobe-Victoria Falls area. The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area comprises three game parks from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Mzembi said the 2013 United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia will be positioned as a regional if not continental event which will put African tourism on the world map.
Meanwhile, UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai is expected in Zambia and Zimbabwe next month for the signing of a tripartite agreement on the border between the two countries for the hosting of the UNWTO General Assembly. Rifai will jointly sign the agreement with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Michael Sata of Zambia.
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