MINISTRY of Tourism and Hospitality Industry
officials who attended the African Commission
Meeting of the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO) in Burkina Faso last
week castigated European countries for submerging
the tourism sector in Africa.
The meeting, which was held in Ouagadougou
from June 7 to 10, witnessed Southern African
countries discussing the new drive of domesticating
tourism which is centred on community
ownership of tourism assets.
Libya and Tunisia over recent weeks have
fallen victim to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
attacks under the pretext of giving Libyans
the right to choose their own future.
In an interview with The Patriot, Bradah
Maunganidze, the permanent secretary in the
ministry, disclosed that during the meeting in
Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe openly castigated the
interference of Europe in Libya and Tunisia
which they say has had a negative impact on
tourist arrivals.
“As Zimbabwe we openly condemned the
interference by the European countries in Libya
and Tunisia because as Africa we didn’t invite it,
but it was imposed,” said Maunganidze.
“This interference will definitely result in low
tourism because after the attacks, flyers were
sent to European travellers pronouncing the
countries as unsafe tourist destinations.”
Maunganidze lamented other restrictive
measures that Europe had put in place to ensure
European tourists do not travel to Africa.
“Some of the concerns we registered at the
meeting in Burkina Faso include the fact that
European countries have introduced a punitive
tax on tourists coming to Africa which is
adversely affecting our tourism,” he said.