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Samantha Chigogo Herald Reporter
Government has invited private stakeholders to register and participate in the supply of local goods and services at meetings, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) to promote domestic tourism.

The Tourism and Hospitality Industry ministry is responding to the dictates of the nation’s economic blueprint, Zim-Asset which seeks to promote empowerment programmes such as community-based tourism targeting groups such as women, youth and the disabled.

Speaking during the World Tourism Day celebrations on Friday, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said communities should take a leading role in promoting domestic tourism.

“We are inviting and opening up registration of private homes and firms involved in hotel and catering management as well as private transport facilities that can be used in boosting our domestic tourism sector,” he said.

“This registration is important as it gives our local tourism promoters a chance to flourish and acquire international recognition by hosting top delegates from other countries.”

Minister Mzembi urged entrepreneurs to be resourceful as this was key in the tourism sector.

“We have a tendency of complaining every time over our country’s economic hardships, which is not ideal.

“We are resource-rich but cash-poor because we lack creativity,” he said.

“Creativity is key in boosting the tourism sector hence we need to embrace the resources we have and put them to good use,” he said.

“As of now, our energy industry is suffering because we have been thinking inside the box.

“It is high time that as a nation we adopt resourcefulness towards promoting the use of renewable sources of power.”

Minister Mzembi said peace was a prerequisite for the country’s competitiveness towards promoting an excellent tourism base.

“Zimbabweans are appreciated worldwide for their peaceful nature hence we need to sell this quality as it underlines any tourism success story,” he said.

He bemoaned border policies which he said were a hindrance to boosting the tourism sector.

“Complicated visa procedures have continued to impede tourists from travelling here.

“The country must speedily remove visa requirements and implement e-visas or implement visas on arrival measures.

“The country has already carried out a pilot project on UNIVISA with Zambia and this has proved fruitful and should be quickly extended to other SADC countries,” said Minister Mzembi.