Zim hotels ridiculously priced says minister, calls for downward review
- “It’s disturbing that an average breakfast costs US$25 or more in our hotels. That’s the price of a goat! Surely that cannot be justified regardless of even the much touted high cost of doing business argument. It’s ridiculous.”
Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has decried the “ridiculously” high cost of local hotels, calling for a downward review of prices to aid the recovery of Zimbabwe’s coronavirus-hit tourism industry.
Ndlovu made the stern remarks as he launched the ZimBho domestic tourism campaign on the shores of Lake Kariba on Thursday night.
The campaign dubbed ZimBho #IzimYami #Vakatsha comes as authorities are pushing to make up some of the shortfall in tourist revenues brought about by Covid-19.
To support this campaign, Government has exempted VAT on all tourism services for domestic tourists in a bid to reduce the prices being charged on tourism products and services.
However, there has been no reciprocation from the tourism players, Ndlovu said.
“In removing the VAT the Government had hoped that there will be a corresponding reduction in the cost of hospitality Institutions. I remain totally concerned that the rates charged by the hotels and lodges in Zimbabwe are still very high,” Ndlovu said.
“I urge the industry to take stock of what is happening elsewhere, particularly in neighbouring countries and review your prices downwards. It’s disturbing that an average breakfast costs US$25 or more in our hotels,” Ndlovu continued.
“That’s the price of a goat! Surely that cannot be justified regardless of even the much touted “high cost of doing business” argument. It’s ridiculous. I urge the hospitality sector to focus on volumes rather than high margins,” he added.
Ndlovu said Government will continue looking at ways to make tourism affordable to the nationals and expects to see such incentives actually translating to price reductions in the sector for the benefit of the domestic market.
“I am aware that one of the challenges to the domestic market is the low disposable incomes vis-à-vis high prices of our tourism products,” he said.
“Government is continuously engaging on how to improve the cost of doing business for the operators so as to reduce prices. Government is also continuously engaging relevant parties with the view to improve incomes and the economy in general. I am appealing to all employers to do the same as this will go a long way in increasing domestic travel. We want to see you enjoying and having fun.”
The campaign is in line with the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy, launched earlier this year, challenging the sector to achieve a US$5-billion-dollar Tourism Economy by year 2025.
One of the key pillars of this Recovery and Growth Strategy is the promotion of Domestic Tourism.
Turning to Zimbho campaign, Ndlovu said Government, has opened up areas for tourism development to allow for product innovation and diversification in the form of cultural tourism, recreational areas and resort developments.
Some of the areas earmarked for these developments include but are not limited to, Tugwi Mukosi, Kanyemba, Osborne Dam, Binga and Kariba, Ndlovu said.
About the campaign
“The campaign Brand, ZIMBHO, Hashtag vakatsha, Hashtag IZimYami is premised on the word Bho, which means good, well or fine. In the tourism context, we are saying Zimbabwe is beautiful and richly endowed Thus ZIM IS BHO,” Ndlovu said.
ZimBho is motivated by the street lingo “Bho” which is a slang word casually used in everyday language in Zimbabwe meaning “good” or showing common understanding.
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