Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Prisca Mupfumira has today in Harare officially launched the Tour Africa-New Horizon Zimbabwe Chapter project. Part of an investment package led by a Chinese company, Touch Road International Holdings Group in the African continent.
The project, which will see Zimbabwe receiving 350 tourists from China per month. It comes after Zimbabwe signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during a visit by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in May last.
“This project is a collaboration between Ethiopian Airlines, which is providing the Charter flight for 350 Tourists to travel through Djibouti, Tanzania and Zimbabwe,” Mupfumira said during the launch. “The final destination being Zimbabwe, the Tourists will enjoy the majestic Victoria Falls and other scenic beauties provided by nature Zimbabwe.”
“Part of the large Chinese delegation will include investors who are coming to scout the environment whilst enjoying our unique tourist attractions.”
The Hospitality Industry’s Minister said the arrival of the Tour Africa- New Horizon Project requires Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality industry players to gear up and enhance their products to accommodate tourists.
“We are therefore calling upon you to dig deeper and research more on how to widen up your horizons too,” Mupfumira said.
“Our tourists must experience memorable moments that will give them a reason to return to Zimbabwe.”
The direct contribution of Travel and Tourism to Zimbabwe’s GDP in 2017 was USD512.3 million, generating 27,500 jobs for the Southern African nation.
“The launch of Tour Africa comes at a time when we as Government are re-engaging the world to come and invest in Zimbabwe, Mupfumira said. “As such we have also made strides to ensure that we are ably represented by Patriotic Tourism Ambassadors regardless of race, color or creed.”
Although Zimbabwe is marketing itself as a safe tourist place, the violence that erupted last week has the potential to pose security fears amongst visitors to the country.
The launch of the Tour Africa comes at a time when Zimbabwe is experiencing a decline in tourists as flights were either canceled or postponed following the violence that rocked the country last week.