Story by Tichaona Kurewa
TOURISM players have welcomed the decision by the government to set up a stand-alone tourism ministry, saying it will expedite the recovery and growth of the sector.
The tourism sector has traditionally been under the armpit of the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, which was superintending over several sub-sectors.
This has however changed with tourism now under a fully-fledged ministry led by Honourable Barbara Rwodzi.
“It is going to help with expediting processes, our previous minister was overwhelmed with a lot of things from environment, climate, and all that. Sometimes we need speedy resolution of some issues, and it was not coming because he was also busy with other things. We hope this multiplication is going to help with just taking away the bureaucracy that will delay the resolution of things,” said Wild Horizons business development and corporate affairs director, Mrs Barbra Murasiranwa-Hughes.
“I will call having a stand-alone ministry as opposed to a combined ministry, a double-edged sword. There are give and take, the take is that a stand-alone ministry will get all the attention that is due without being eclipsed by other departments within the former parent ministry. I would say we will get more attention as a stand-alone ministry,” said, the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe president, Mr Wengai Nhau.
Zimbabwe is targeting a US$5 billion tourism industry by 2025 and players in the sector are working flat out alongside the government to meet the set target.
