The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, under the stewardship of Minister Barbra Rwodzi, presented an ambitious policy framework to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Tourism, aimed at catapulting Zimbabwe’s tourism sector into a top contributor to the national economy.
Minister Rwodzi articulated the strategic vision to elevate Zimbabwe as a prime tourist destination, adhering to international best practices and aligning with Section 13 of the Constitution on national development and the Tourism Act (Cap 14:20).
The ministry’s primary objectives are to promote and develop the tourist and hospitality industry, targeting a growth trajectory to achieve over USD 5 billion in revenue by 2025. “A comprehensive Tourism and Hospitality industry growth strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry. The strategy recognizes Domestic Tourism as a key driver of the tourism 3 of 25 economy.
The strategy further organizes the tourism and hospitality sector into clusters as a way to enhance targeted and efficient Tourism development. Eleven Tourism Clusters have thus far been developed with a focus on growing Business Tourism, Sports Tourism, Culture and Heritage Tourism, Medical Tourism, just to mention a few,” said Rwodzi.
“It is important to note this cluster strategy for tourism can only be successful when supported by strategic pillars that include, well-structured programs, a highly trained and efficient workforce, a robust legal and financial infrastructure, as well as modern physical infrastructure.
“Accordingly, we have deliberately organized the key enablers of our innovative cluster-based approach to include the development and deployment of an appropriate Programming infrastructure, human capital or staffing infrastructure physical and digital infrastructure legal and regulatory infrastructure and Financing infrastructure,” she said.
She said the ministry aims to advance tourism to become a top GDP contributor by leveraging the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) for promotion and the Zimbabwe Tourism Fund (ZTF) for development.
Key reforms include the amendment of the Tourism Act Cap 14:20 to reflect the current socio-economic and political landscape.
Minister Rwodzi emphasized that the proposed amendments would ensure that tourism resources benefit local communities, especially the poor and vulnerable, in line with Section 13 of the Constitution.
The proposed changes, she said also aim to reconfigure the Zimbabwe Tourism Fund, enhance the registration and grading of tourist facilities, strengthen quality and standards management, and regulate digital systems within the industry.
