MARONDERA-Mashonaland East residents recently weighed in on the revision of the National Tourism Policy,
which will be realigned with the goals of the Second Republic and dovetail with
current and upcoming developments in the industry.
The current National Tourism Policy was crafted in 2014 and normally policies have a lifespan of
five years, meaning it has outlived its lifespan by four years.
Addressing participants in Marondera, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry
acting permanent secretary Tariro Musonza who was standing in for Ambassador Raphael
Faranisi said the policy needs to take into consideration grassroots issues, the custodians of
national resources.
He said: As we undertake our review process we should also be mindful of issues to do with
the climate change, pandemics, climate proofing the tourism sector, greening the tourism
sector, sustainable tourism development, gender mainstreaming, women and youth
participation in tourism related activities.
The digital age has also brought about a new dimension in the way we are doing our
businesses, therefore it is a critical element if we are to cope with the changing environments.
Tourism is one of the critical pillars for socio-economic growth of the nation among other
sectors as it brings into the economy foreign currency, employment creation and attracts both
local and foreign investors.
Old policies may run the risk of failing to comply with new laws and regulations and may not
address emerging trends, which can result in inconsistencies and mal-alignment of programmes
and activities in the sector.
He added that the National Tourism Policy should be in line with the dictates of the national
blueprints such as Vision 2030; the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS-1) and the
devolution agenda.
The countrys tourism sectors blueprint – the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy –
targets to attain a $5 billion tourism economy by 2025.
Our Policy should seek to leave no one and no place behind in terms of tourism development
and equitable distribution of tourism resources and revenue. Each contribution made will be
considered valuable and will be take on board the National Tourism Policy, he said.
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