Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi last week challenged government to license more private players in the airlines sector to enhance Zimbabwe’s destination accessibility.
“There is no doubt that Air Zimbabwe has let the tourism industry down. At a time when we had 45 airlines flying into Zimbabwe Air Zimbabwe was at its best competing for customers like everyone else.
“You discourage other airlines from flying into your country — nothing will move. We need to liberalise our skies. Air Zimbabwe must be a little smarter. British Airways hardly owns any aircraft and I believe this romanticism where we want to own aircraft is old-fashioned,” Mzembi said.
The Tourism minister was speaking at the launch of Zimbabwe’s new tourism brand — Zimbabwe World of Wonders — to the local market at a Bulawayo hotel.
Vice-President John Nkomo officiated.
Mzembi said Zimbabwe’s destination accessibility and connectivity was of concern to tourists as it affected their movement.
“In 1996 we had 45 international carriers servicing Zimbabwe from different international source markets. Today, we are down to less than 10 and the price of flights is too high.
“It now costs $800 to fly between Harare and Johannesburg, an amount that flies a tourist between Johannesburg and New York on a budget flight. Under normal circumstances, can such prices promote tourism and enable us to achieve the critical mass of valuables into Zimbabwe?” Mzembi asked.
The government, he said, should decentralise policymaking to ensure equal investment and equal opportunities for the people in all areas.
