Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry

The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry is a ministry mandated with the development and management of policy programmes for the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in Zimbabwe. The current minister is Prisca Mupfumira. The ministry exercises its programmes via the parastatal called Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.

History

In 1987, Victoria Chitepo was the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism. It was responsible for the protection and conservation of natural resources and administered the Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management. It also promoted tourism and owned hotels. ^[1]

Background

The Ministry of Tourism and Hospital Industry was created in 2009 after the government realized the importance of tourism to the development of the country’s economy. Prior to this, Tourism was housed in several ministries such as Environment and Tourism Information, Immigration and Tourism, Natural Resources and Tourism, Mines, Environment and Tourism.

Ministry Leadership

In 2009:

Prisca Mupfumira - Minister
Walter Kanhanga - Deputy Minister

Overal functions of the ministry

Administer and control the Tourism Act and its Statutory Instruments to ensure compliance;
Develop, implement and review tourism policies and legislation in consultation with stakeholders;
Oversee the development, implementation and review of the National Tourism Master Plan and Tourism Development Strategies
Monitor and co-ordinate policies governing the operations of Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
Coordinate and implement international tourism policies, programmes and protocols with regard to the United Nations World Tourism Organisations (UNWTO), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and environmental organisations and other relevant international bodies.
Co-ordinate and implement all regional economic communities (recs) blocs and tourism projects and programmes e.g. Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Tourism Organisations of Southern Africa RETOSA, COMESA, East African Community (EAC) and African Union (AU)
Co-ordinate joint commissions on bilateral and multilateral matters pertaining to tourism and develop agreements, protocols, MOUs, etc. on tourism co-operation
Supervise, co-ordinate and liaise with regional and overseas tourism offices, and embassies with regard to tourism development issues
Overall supervision of the registration and grading of hotels, lodges, travel agents, tour operators, tour guides and other designated tourism facilities (DTFs)
Overall supervision and monitoring of standards of all tourism facilities, and ensure that the tourism and hospitality industry comply with international standards and statutes
Identify and develop tourism products and projects in the communities and provinces e.g. Community Based Tourism Projects (CBTs) heritage and historical sites, e.t.c.
Oversee research and planning of the whole tourism industry in the country including the physical development of both infrastructure and superstructure related to this industry in consultation with stakeholders.
‘Facilitate the production and processing of the national tourism statistics and keep up to date information on all trade organisations and projects for the ministry’s database.
Develop a ministerial web portal, ensure effective internet access to the ministry and its branches countrywide, and facilitate the gathering of website content and its constant update.

Zimbabwe Tourism Act

The ministry is legally guided by the Tourism Act Chapter 14:20, 2001.

National Tourism Masterplan - May 2018

In May 2018, the ministry developed the National Tourism Masterplan a document that would:

act as an overarching guide to the development of Tourism in Zimbabwe. The National Tourism Master Plan will provide direction to product development and diversification, infrastructure development, manpower development, community participation, preservation of nature, culture and heritage, marketing and promotion strategies, among others.”

You can download the National Tourism Masterplan here.