By Ruth Butaumocho
Two years later, the globe is still trying to battle with
the consequences of the virus on both the human and the economic front.
However, most countries are slowly opening their borders
hinging on the prospects of a decline in new infections owing to ongoing
vaccination programmes.
That development has also given a new lease of life to the
tourism industry that heavily relies on human movement for its survival.
Several countries around the globe have started working on
tourism packages tailor-made to suit the aspirations of discerning tourists,
still smarting from the effects of Covid-19.
Zimbabwe is following the same trajectory and has made
inroads in putting its tourism sector back on track by carrying out a massive
vaccination campaign across the country.
As a result, areas like Victoria Falls have made huge
strides in vaccination and is being opened to cater for "vaccinated
tourists".
The nation, therefore, welcomes the decision by the
Government to open the Victoria Falls and Kazungula border posts to fully
vaccinated tourists in a move aimed at reviving the tourism sector, which has
been the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic since last year.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation
(UNWTO), the number of international arrivals across the globe declined by 84
percent between March and December 2020, compared with the previous year.
Based on a range of tourist arrivals projections, the UNWTO
quantifies the potential economic effects of the contraction in the next two
years because of the linkages that tourism has with some other sections of the
economy.
Due to its linkages with other sectors such as agriculture,
and even transport, a drop in tourist sales has a double fold loss in real
Gross Domestic Product, never mind the loss of jobs for thousands employed in
these sectors.
It is, therefore, heartening to witness positive movements
in the tourism sector following a hiatus.
What this effectively means is that the country should begin
to see an increase in the number of international tourist arrivals to augment
domestic activities that have been keeping the industry floating.
The Cabinet pronouncement means that Zimbabwe will join
several other countries in Africa and beyond that have taken the route of only
allowing vaccinated tourists, to stop the further spread of Covid-19.
Morocco and Egypt have since taken that route, while the
United Arab Emirates has also launched vaccine tourism, offering free jabs to
everyone with an entry visa.
Still smarting from the devastating effects of Covid-19
globally, the tourism sector will need to exercise due diligence to ensure that
countries do not witness a surge in new infections -- and of various variants
-- soon after opening.
By its nature, the tourism industry is the interface between
the country and the globe.
As such, any interactions between countries have to be well
managed by stakeholders to bolster confidence while taking the necessary
efforts to flatten the curve.
It would be ambitious on the part of the tourism
stakeholders to expect a deluge of vaccinated tourists soon after the opening
of the two border posts.
Tourism players would need to work hard to have a positive
narrative on the safety of the tourism packages being offered throughout the
country.
The narrative should also be complemented by services to
match tourists' expectations in the middle of a pandemic.
There is, therefore, need for proper safety requirements at
all tourism facilities to complement existing World Health Organisation
requirements, as well as measures put in place by the Government.
With the horrific consequences of the pandemic still fresh
in the people's minds, tourists will place greater focus on their health and
will naturally avoid crowded places.
Unlike previously where tourism players would revel at high
turn outs, and at times put up makeshift arrangements to accommodate extra
guests, they now need to adopt new standards that ensure safety of the minimum
number of guests they would be allowed to host at any given time.
This calls for training staff, availing information on
Covid-19 and regular campaigns to instil confidence and rebuild trust among
tourists who desire to travel, but are worried about their safety.
Stakeholders in the tourism industry have a huge responsibility
to restore confidence and stimulate demand through use of apps to attract local
and international visitors.
Since borders of most countries are still closed to prevent
further spread of the disease, domestic tourism remains the low hanging fruit that
stakeholders can pick to jump-start their business, while fully incentivising
the few international tourists who are already eager to jump on the next plane
and travel.
Vaccines are also critical part of the solution in boosting
the tourism sector in the country, hence the need to accelerate the campaign
for more people to be vaccinated.
Zimbabwe is currently running a robust vaccination programme
in the region that has since been hailed by a number of organisations and
countries such as Australia and also political leaders from diverse
backgrounds.
South African opposition leader and rabid critic of the
Second Republic, Mr Julius Malema, who is leader of an outfit calling itself
the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), last month urged his compatriots to visit
Zimbabwe to get vaccinated in what has become the latest endorsement of the way
Zimbabwean authorities have managed the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zimbabwe can ride on the success of its trailblazing
vaccination programme and embark on vaccine tourism, where those keen on
getting a vaccine can visit the country and get a jab in the process.
Already, several people from neighbouring countries having
been coming into the country to get vaccinated, after realising that it would
take longer than necessary before they get vaccinated in their own countries.
That alone is a plus that Zimbabwe can ride on to venture
into vaccine tourism, after having shown that it has the capacity to push a
programme of such magnitude, within a short period of time.
Boasting over a million people that have been vaccinated to
date, with more vaccines arriving weekly, Zimbabwe is on the cusp of glory in
its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Like any other country, Zimbabwe has not been immune to
health-related challenges that Covid-19 has brought on the door-step of almost
every country in the world.
What is critical to note is that the nation has adapted well
to the pandemic disruptions and continue to insulate its people against the
ravaging effects of Covid-19, while maintaining its focus on economic growth.
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