A lack of funding is hampering the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s efforts to market the destination as well as its perception management campaigns, the authority says.

Chief Executive, Karikoga Kaseke, revealed that government was failing to fund the entity making it difficult and virtually impossible to drive campaigns, hence the poor performance of the sector.

“As part of our perception management programme, we are meant to host international media and buyers and attend fairs around the world to manage the perceived negative perceptions the international community has of us. But that can only happen with a funded authority and ZTA is being underfunded,” said Kaseke.

Kaseke revealed that ZTA was receiving well below 2% of what its regional counterparts in competing destinations, including Zambia, South Africa and Botswana, received.

He said, this year the authority had only received $470 000 from government, while the other half of the funds due, which was meant for the annual tourism show Sanganai/ Hlanganani, have still not been received from Treasury.

“That is the level of antagonism that we are facing as an authority. While countries like Zambia are getting $33 million, we cannot even get a million. How then, do we invite people to the country and host them without money? This is the reason why we are lagging behind, because we are struggling,” said Kaseke.

Speaking about the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Walter Mzembi’s, vision for a $5 billion tourism economy and five million arrivals by 2020, Kaseke said although it was a well thought-out and intended vision by the Minister, other sectors were not doing well enough for the tourism sector to meet the target in the next four years.

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