Harare, (New Ziana) – In a move aimed at modernising and tightening oversight within the travel industry, Cabinet has approved the Tourism Amendment Bill, which seeks to enhance governance, inclusivity, and regulation of the sector, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere made the announcement during the post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday.
He said the Bill proposes amendments to the Tourism Act designed to align the sector with the principles of Public Administration and Leadership as set out in the Constitution, as well as the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act.
“The Bill promotes gender equality, representation and universal access in line with provisions set out in the Constitution,” he said, underscoring the government’s commitment to ensuring that all Zimbabweans benefit from opportunities within the tourism industry.
Dr Muswere said the Bill will also strengthen the administration of the Zimbabwe Tourism Fund by introducing a Tourism Council responsible for the oversight of the disbursement of funds.
To improve sector regulation, the Bill introduces stringent measures aimed at eliminating unregistered operations through enforcing mandatory publication of all registered tourism facilities as well as mandatory registration of all online booking platforms.
“The Bill further seeks to strengthen regulation of the tourism sector by introducing new provisions for shutting down unregistered facilities,” said Dr Muswere.
The legislation also sets out civil penalties to ensure compliance with financial obligations as well as mandating tourism operators to provide critical data to assist with planning and marketing, he said.
“It proposes a mandatory obligation for operators in the industry to submit to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority statistics and information utilised for tourism planning and development of marketing strategies,” he said.
Through the reforms, Dr Muswere said the government aims to foster a tourism sector that is well-regulated, transparent, and inclusive, in line with Constitutional mandates and sustainable economic development.
New Ziana
