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    HomeNewsProposed Air Services Development Plan to ramp up tourist arrivals - Gvt

    Proposed Air Services Development Plan to ramp up tourist arrivals – Gvt

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    Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposed Air Services Development Plan which government believes will increase tourism arrivals in the country, a government minister has said.

    Zimbabwe’s tourism industry is undergoing a spectacular revival, with international arrivals increasing by 27 percent in the first half of 2024 over the previous year as the country welcomed 751 483 visitors up from 592 567 in 2023.

    The increased tourist arrivals resulted in a significant boost to the economy, with tourism receipts up 24 percent to US$493 million in the first half of 2024, compared to US$398 million in the same period last year.

    The sector’s contribution to Zimbabwe’s GDP has been consistent at around 5.7 percent.

    Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere told a post Cabinet meeting briefing that the Air Services Development plan is envisaged to make Zimbabwe a destination of choice and make connectivity within Africa and beyond easy thereby increasing flights into Zimbabwe.

    “The nation is informed that the Air Services Development Plan was developed in order to guide air services development at Victoria Falls Airport and Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport,” he said.

    “The plan seeks to identify potential tourist and business source markets for Zimbabwe and will be utilized in the preparation of business cases for routes that can be presented to airlines and preparing for meetings with airlines and preparing for industry events/trade shows.”

    He said the Air Services Development Plan is informed by the assessment of demand and supply factors at Victoria Falls and Harare, that of infrastructure at both airports and the enabling environment for aviation transport in Zimbabwe.

    It provides for a clear Air Route Development Strategy for an overall strategy for air services development for Victoria Falls and Harare and route development strategy by country and by airline.

    “The Plan recognises the importance of coordination by both the public and private sectors in active route development by undertaking engagements with potential airlines. To that end, the plan proposes strategies for coordinating the two sectors in the development of air services in Zimbabwe,” Dr Muswere said.

    “Furthermore, in order to actualize the objectives of the Air Services Development Plan, an institutional coordination framework comprising the Air Service Development Steering Committee and the Technical Committee were established.

    The role of the Air Services Development Steering Committee shall, among others be, to oversee the development and technical execution of the Air Services Development Plan as well as to promote the development of new air routes and the success of the existing ones.”

    New Ziana

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