eBusiness Weekly
Private hotels operating in the country received a reprieve after Government agreed to postpone the deadline to start downgrading them to inferior status for failing to meet acceptable star-rating and international standards.
From January until the end of March this year, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) was set to embark on a blitz that could have seen some Five Star hotels and lodges countrywide tumbling to Three Stars, while others would have become ungraded.
The blitz will be done under code name “Operation Restore Order” in the sector.
This comes as it emerged the tourism sector needs over $200 million to spruce up the existing tourism infrastructure and $1,5 billion to construct new hotels to cater for a potential boom in the sector.
However, the RBZ a fortnight ago, unveiled $15 million to be accessed by members of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ), a figure that is shy of the sector’s requirements following years of infrastructure decay.
It, however, emerged that after a strong lobby by HAZ, authorities eventually mellowed, but insisted that all members were supposed to register with the ZTA by 01 April this year.
All stakeholders were unanimous that economic events of the past two decades made it difficult for HAZ members to constantly upgrade their facilities to match their counterparts in the region and internationally that have access to cheap working capital.
(HAZ) president Innocent Munyera, on Wednesday, confirmed they had received a reprieve from the tourism regulatory body following “some talks”.
“We are in talks with the ZTA on the matter. They also promote Brand Zimbabwe. We told them that everyone is going to be registered. We agreed by 31 March all players should have been registered. We agreed we should also give information on those not registered so that they are brought to book,” said Munyera .
Munyera said after the deadline, no member was supposed to cry wolf when the law finally catches up with them.
“What it means is these businesses do not pay tax, tourism levy and other licences. They are providing unfair competition to other members and that should stop,” said Munyera.
He said it was agreed the regrading exercise discussion would start after all other members were registered given the endogenous and exogenous factors that hampered members from sprucing up their infrastructure.
“The downgrading deadline was extended. Members said the economy was not well and was not facilitating refurbishment of facilities. There was no money to do that at all. But the Ministry (of Tourism and Hospitality Industry) is saying we should at least do other things that do not need money. We have a facility ($15 million) that was announced last week,” he said.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira, confirmed hotels were given the reprieve, but all players in the sector were required to register first.
“We are saying they should be registered otherwise they may lose out on facilities that we have. By April 1 all must be registered,” she said adding that the RBZ facility would be used to refurbish the facilities.
