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2021-02-25 12:30:42 GMT2021-02-25 20:30:42(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
HARARE, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) The Zimbabwe tourism sector is seeking for its members to be prioritized in the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program that is underway in the country. As much as the port entry people have been included over and above health workers, I feel that the people going through those ports of entry spend much time in hotels and lodges being looked after by people who work in the hospitality industry, who, therefore, need to be vaccinated to give these people assurance, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Victoria Falls chapter chair, Anald Musonza, was quoted as saying by the Herald newspaper on Thursday.
TOURISM players have called on Government to come up with policies that give the sector a soft landing and create conditions for it’s recovery from the Covid-19 induced restrictions.
Sector capacity utilisation has dropped to around 5 percent down from festive season levels where hotel occupancy was between 50 percent and full occupancy.
The sector had been showing signs of resurgence from the first wave of the Covid-19 global pandemic buoyed by domestic tourism before the more virulent second wave which saw Government declaring a lockdown.
Tourism players have called on Government to maintain or review some policies affecting the tourism sector to ensure its speedy recovery after the slump.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Victoria Falls Chairperson, Mr Anald Musonza
Local tourism players have expressed concern over the new covid-19 variant and lockdowns in major European source markets saying it might hinder prospects of marginal rebound of the industry this year.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Victoria Falls Chairperson, Mr Anald Musonza who is optimistic about the prospects of tourism industry this year believes the new covid-19 strain presents new challenges for the sector.
“The industry is distressed and obviously as an industry we had come up with up with survival strategies, one of which was to focus on domestic tourism. Now with this new variant it is taking us backwards because all our source markets have been forced to go back into lockdowns and locally we have also gone into lockdown,” he said.
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