×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Command tourism next: Kaseke

Business
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) is mulling plans to introduce command tourism in a bid to develop the sector.

THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) is mulling plans to introduce command tourism in a bid to develop the sector.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

The proposed model draws inspiration from the command agriculture scheme being championed by the government under the ZimAsset’s food security and nutrition cluster.

Speaking at the Hlanganani/Sanganai 10th anniversary launch in Bulawayo on Thursday, ZTA chief executive, Karikoga Kaseke said plans were underway to introduce command tourism and Tourism minister Walter Mzembi had welcomed the idea.

“I was talking to the minister that why don’t we introduce command tourism. We must introduce command tourism so that those who are doing what we don’t want to do they should stop. They will be commanded to stop,” he told delegates.

“Those who are not doing what they are supposed to be doing they must be commanded to do it. It’s an idea you can laugh at, but I am serious, when I talk about command tourism because that is the issue.”

In a command economy, the government, rather than the free market, determines what goods must be produced, how much should be produced, and the price at, which the goods must be sold. In other words, the State and not the market, determines the production and distribution of goods.

Kaseke told NewsDay on the side lines of the anniversary that under the command programme, the tourism sector was guaranteed to grow since the government would be heavily involved.

Kaseke said the tourism sector was faced with a plethora of challenges, chief among them, numerous police roadblocks on the country’s highways. As such, he said by introducing command tourism, those challenges would be stopped by the Office of the President.

He said Mzembi had bought into the idea and work was underway.

If Cabinet approves the proposal, implementation would begin next year, he said.

Kaseke said tourism needed full government support for it to develop.

Meanwhile, Kaseke said the 10th edition of Hlanganani/Sanganai Travel Expo, would be held on September 27 to October 1 in Bulawayo.

He urged the people of Bulawayo to support the expo so that it is not taken back to Harare.

So far, 50 exhibitors have booked space out of the 250 targeted.

Last year, the expo surpassed the 200 exhibitors’ target.

Sixty-six international buyers have confirmed participation against targeted 250. Ten are from European Union, two from America, 15 from China-Asian Pacific and 39 from Africa.

The number of operators have registered to participate at the expo from Bulawayo is 19 compared to 70 recorded last year.

“I want to challenge the community of Bulawayo to surpass the 70 that participated at the Sanganai last year. I think this year we should be at least 100 rather than to remain at 19,” he said.