Prominent businessman Dr Shingi Munyeza, who was presenting during the National Tourism Sector Strategy Workshop in Harare, accused politics of destroying the tourism sector in Zimbabwe. The former president of the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism said that incoherent has destroyed the tourism sector over the past 20 years.
“The big thing around the world is the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Events tourism) but because of political reasons we de-MICEd the MICE,” said Munyeza.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) is currently holding consultative workshops around Zimbabwe to map the way for the sector.
Munyeza also said that the problem why South Africa was marketing Victoria Falls more Zimbabwe which hosts the resort area should be blamed on the landlocked country for the lack of support. The former Faith Ministries Church leader went on to say that development of the tourism sector post-independence has been very
“Our politics has been toxic, archaic and counter-development to economic growth growth up until now,” Munyeza went on to say discussing the developments in the Zimbabwean tourism sector.
A participant during the workshop said that there is also need to find a way of turning Zimbabwe, which its history is littered by stories of police roadblocks and also with the grabbing of private property that took place since the turn of the 21st century.
Munyeza commented after the Executive Director for the ZTA, Sophie Zirebwa had said that other urban areas like Gweru lack accommodation to support tourism. Zirebwa said that domestic tourism in Zimbabwe was not also being supported in Zimbabwe. It was also revealed that, besides the Harare International Conventional Center in Harare, Zimbabwe has limited number of venues for MICE tourism as many urban centers including the tourist resorts could not have such facilities. Rainbow Tours Group CEO said that tourism around the world is growing at around 4 percent and that Zimbabwe has the opportunity to perform better.
Although Munyeza accused the politicians of the state of MICE tourism in Zimbabwe, the Vice President of Zimbabwe, Constantino Chiwenga, who spoke during the workshop said that the government is developing the resort areas around Zimbabwe. The politician spoke of plans to refurbish the Mutare and Beitbridge airports after upgrading the Victoria Falls International Airport.
