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The Herald, September 28, 1989 

A FOREIGN currency revolving fund for the tourism industry has been set up, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Cde Victoria Chitepo, has said. 

“Discussions are presently in progress and what is left is only to determine what percentage the tourist industry in its entirety should be entitled to,” Cde Chitepo said yesterday when she launched MV Manica, a luxury $1 million cruise vessel, on Lake Kariba. 

The launching of the vessel – Zimbabwe’s biggest touring vessel at Kariba was part of activities to mark World Tourism Day. It was built over two years to provide Luxury Lake cruises for upmarket local and international tourists. The vessel is owned by Manica Freight, Travel and Tour Services. 

The minister said the Government, through the Zimbabwe Tourist Development Corporation, would this year spend over $1 million on promoting and marketing Zimbabwe. Together with the European Economic Community, the Government had allocated a further $6 million for tourism marketing and training. 

“I would like to see the tourism industry and ZTDC put all the resources for marketing into one fund so that it is co-ordinated to ensure maximum use of available resources as a joint effort by the private sector and ZTDC,” she said. 

LESSONS FOR TODAY 

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation designated September 27 of each year as World Tourism Day. 

 The day is set aside for UNWTO Member States, non-members, sister UN agencies, businesses and individuals “to celebrate tourism’s unique ability to ensure that nobody is left behind”. Thus the 2021 theme is “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”. 

 At some point, the tourist industry was one of the major foreign currency earners. But when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, it affected every aspect of life.  

 The tourism industry was hardest hit, considering that the majority of countries imposed short- to long-term lockdowns and other strict Covid-19 protocols prescribed by the World Health Organisation. 

 The major gains in tourism realised in the past few years were eroded, affecting the foreign currency basket, considering that tourism was a major foreign currency earner. 

 As economies are opening up, so too the tourism industry. Zimbabwe has done fairly well in terms of vaccinations. Tourists should therefore feel free to travel to the country as a number of tourist resorts have achieved herd immunity, ensuring that all their staff are immunised. 

 As the country continues to receive more vaccines, people must take advantage of that, so that all economic activities are fully open.