BY MISHMA CHAKANYUKA
ENVIRONMENT, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister, Priscah Mupfumira says she expects tourist arrivals from China to double from the 19 000 recorded last year.
Addressing journalists while receiving a group of 343 Chinese tourists at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport yesterday, Mupfumira said tourist numbers from the Asian nation have been increasing since the beginning of the new dispensation led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“In 2016, the numbers were just around 5 000 and with the coming in of the new dispensation we increased the numbers. Last year, the number had gone to 19 000 and we hope to double the number this year,” she said.
“Our target is to have over 100 000 Chinese visitors coming to Zimbabwe by year 2025. We want to match and even better our competitors in the region as far as Chinese tourist arrivals to Zimbabwe are concerned.”
Mupfumira said the coming of the Chinese tourists group will help market the country’s tourist attractions. The group will be in the country over the next five days “It is sad that over the years our performance has not been that good and we hope with this thrust and also with the videos shot by the Chinese, who came earlier on about various tourist sites in Zimbabwe, we are able to market Zimbabwe more and grow our tourist numbers.
“China is one of the biggest source markets for tourism in the world and we want to get that share of the Chinese market and we have started this vigorous campaign. As you can see they have been coming monthly. Over and above this particular group, other Chinese people will be coming and we will shortly be opening a tourist office in China,” she said.
Mnangagwa last night hosted the Chinese tourist group at State House in Harare.
