Mzembi in Havana for UNWTO meeting Dr Mzembi
Dr Mzembi

Dr Mzembi

Herald Reporter
SADC-endorsed candidate for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation secretary-general position Dr Walter Mzembi is in Cuba attending UNWTO’s 60th Commission for the Americas Statutory meeting.

Dr Mzembi, who is also Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, was invited to attend all the statutory UNWTO commissions including the Americas underway in Havana, Cuba.

Minister Mzembi who is accompanied by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke and other senior Government officials said he was looking forward to the next few days of interactive learning on tourism best practices in the Americas.

He said Zimbabwe needed to follow-up on Cuba’s invitation to embark on a benchmark visit of the Caribbean Island’s booming tourism.

“Cuba presents to Zimbabwe the ideal benchmark for turning adversity into opportunity given that they have been under stricter and severe sanctions and hardship from the USA for nearly 60 years, and that notwithstanding they have overcome all manner of restrictions to emerge as a leading player in the Caribbean tourism architecture.

“Today they boast of a three billion dollar tourism economy, 60 000-room stock.

“A record of 3,5 million visitors were received in 2015, with a forecast growth of 6 percent in 2016 after a 17 percent increase in 2015.

“The Cuban government has told me that they plan to reach 80 000 rooms by year 2020 whilst at home we are aiming for 20 000 in line with our Vision 2020. Surely we can do better than that,” said Minister Mzembi.

Minister Mzembi is expected to meet the majority of the 24 members of the Americas although he was quick to point out that an integration of North and South America tourism will be one of his goals as he begins his campaign.

“Instead of building walls, the Americas need a safe, secure, integrative and seamless product,” Dr Mzembi said.

His participation at the 60th Meeting of the Regional Commission for the Americas meeting comes as a huge plus to his campaign particularly in Latin America where Zimbabwe’s diplomatic presence is limited to Havana and Brasilia only.

Cuba was leading in terms of tourism arrivals in Latin America despite having been under an economic embargo for 56 years and political isolation from the USA.

“Tourism is leading immensely in contributing to revenue generation, poverty reduction and employment creation in Cuba, and it has provided relief to a country that Zimbabwe can learn a lot on how to survive under sanctions,” said one of the officials travelling with Minister Mzembi.

He said political relations between Cuba and Zimbabwe remain cordial with the two countries sharing common predicaments of economic embargos from the USA.

“If the ‘no objections stance’ by the US to a $25 million housing loan facility to CABS by the African Development Bank is anything to go by, Zimbabwe may need to up its game going forward.

“Already, President Mugabe in April signalled his willingness for improved relations with the US when he received credentials of the new US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Harry K. Thomas Junior,” said the official.

Recently, Dr Mzembi was in Washington, DC where he met with senior US officials and called on citizen diplomacy through tourism.

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