Government is meant to reclaim all tourism assets that were lost during the land reform programme, Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Walter Mzembi has said.
This surfaced on Monday during the handover of the 650 vehicles which government procured for tourism development and conservation under the Indian EXIMBANK.
Zimbabwe is known for its variety of resources which include wildlife, historical and natural sites such as the Victoria Falls and the Great Zimbabwe, which have been the foundation of a thriving tourist industry. However, since the land reform programme in 2000, tourism in Zimbabwe has steadily declined.
“During the land reform programme people in certain parts of the country, erroneously acquired tourism assets using agriculture land title.
“My Mosi-Oa-Tunya Development Company is designed to claim back many of these assets that have gone moribund,” said minister Mzembi.
He also blamed the land reform for dilapidating some of the tourist resorts in the country.
“The reason why Kariba is dead is because much of the land in the area was grabbed yet it is entitled to tourism.
“We wish under the Mosi-Oa-Tunya Development Company to warehouse these assets and leverage them as we take the next step to develop tourism in the country.
Minister Mzembi said he is compelled to redesign the face of tourism in the country.
“I’m seized with serious work on tourism master planning which is basically capturing the whole country.
“We have three designated tourism development zones, the first one being the Gwai area into Hwange, Victoria falls, lower Zambezi and Kariba.
“It will be joined by the second corridor which includes the Mutirikwi, Gonerezhou , Limpopo leading into Beitbridge and the eastern highlands as the third zone,” revealed minister Mzembi adding that all the development zones will warehoused under Mosi-Oa-Tunya Development Company.
Mosi-Oa-Tunya Development Company is solely owned by the government and its mandate is to drive the development of tourism as well as modernising resort towns.
