via Mugabe attacks Europe over tourism cake | The Zimbabwean by Zivai Maenzanise
President Robert Mugabe has lashed out at European countries for short changing Africa through their tourism sector policies.
Mugabe made the remarks when he officiated at the opening ceremony of the 20th United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly in Victoria Falls yesterday.
The summit is being co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia and commenced on Sunday, ending August 29.
He said Europe was putting in place punitive policy frameworks to safeguard their tourism sector at the expense of the African continent.
“It is very critical that Africa evolves strategies that effectively lure tourists to the continent. This assumes even greater importance in view of Europe’s efforts to keep the tourism dollars within the Euro-zone, by imposition of punitive airport departure taxes for its intercontinental travellers,” he said.
Mugabe said it was still disappointing to note that Africa had only four per cent share of global tourism revenue despite being richly endowed with massive natural and cultural tourism resources.
“From 1981, we remained active members of the UNWTO until 1999. Unfortunately during the period 2000 – 2008, we faced immense challenges occasioned, in large part, by illegal debilitating sanctions imposed upon us by some sections of the West.
“These sanctions sadly came hard on the heels of the IMF/World Bank’s ill-conceived Economic Structural Adjustment Programme that, amongst other negatives, disabled our active participation in bodies like the UNWTO,” he said.
However, Mugabe acknowledged that the Government of National Unity brought stability that saw the country retaining its UNWTO membership.
“The GNU led in to the somewhat softening of the stances against us on the part of our political and economic detractors,” he said.
Mugabe then called for Africa to evolve strategies that effectively lure tourists to the continent. He and his Zambian counterpart, President Michael Sata, have since signed the Golden Book of Tourism.
That makes them global tourism ambassadors, but critics question Mugabe’s credibility regarding that status.
Mugabe further backed the introduction of a Univisa for Africa, lobbying for the further opening of borders on the continent.
“The need for open borders, through regional block visa regimes, which we are trying to implement as Univisa through RETOSA, will not only allow easier travel amongst SADC citizens, But will also make it easier for the long haul intercontinental visitor and investor,” he said.
COMMENTS
the west knows what happened in the highly rigged elections and the ignorant endorsements by au and sadc.tourists will not visit oppressive countries,no rule of law and racist fake leaders.
The west knows a lot of stuff: they knew that Iraq had WMDs and killed hundreds of thousands of civilians including children in order to take out the owner of those mythical WMDs. They knew that the Taliban were the worst leaders for Afghanistan and they invaded that country killing hundreds of thousands of civilians including children only to turn around and start negotiating with the Taliban so they could have their country back. They are now invading Syria in order to revenge the poison gas killing and in so doing they will kill hundreds of thousands of civilians including children only to walk away and wash their hands and lay the blame on Iran or Russia and China. Yes, they know a lot.
Mugabe, when are you going to stop pointing your fingire to other people for your failer. Mugabe, who destroyed healty? West. What about education? West. Agriculture, west. Transport, west. Zesa, west.
Mugabe has totally failed. He can point to the west for his failure but everyone who cares knows that he and his party of robbers brought the misery and suffering every Zimbabwean (except his robbers and himself) is faced with. He is by far the most cruel ruler that has led Zimbabwe including the Rhodesian and even the Northern Rhodesia days. I wish him dead and when is is buried make sure he does not come back!
Europe is not the problem with tourism in Zimbabwe. Tourist do not travel to countries where the police demand bribes at road blocks where there is no rule of law and where the prime tourist facilities are infested with criminals. They also do not want to go to game reserves where all the animals are being poached. They also do not travel to countries thwhose politics make them uncomfortable. Mugabe can fix this and stop waffling on about sanctions, which are only on arms purchases and travel restrictions against him and his criminal colleagues.
Also stop bashing the white man every time you open your mouth at a speech. You can choose who you like but keep your mouth shut. The lucrative tourists would be the ones from Europe who happen to be mainly white and who donate a lot to Zim even though you always provide hate speech. Most Zimbabweans don’t reflect your views old man and like any race and welcome all tourists etc. You are out of touch and deprived of reality and only a handful really like you hence you have no friends so do the world a favour and disappear eg Gadaffi style would be great!!
Mugabe has a hard neck criticising other countries (West???) on their punitive policies placed to protect their tourism bvusinesses. If I remember correctly last time I was in Zimbabwe I paid a lot higher rate at hotels, safaris and other tourist attractions than the locals. I also had to pay a hefty levy to the Zimbabwean government at the airport when I left. So don’t spout drivel how hard done you are when these policies are in place. The facts are that an african safari type holiday is prohibitively expensive to the average international holiday maker and african countries do nothing to reduce these prices and attract more tourists.This is in spite of the fact that air travel has been effectively greatly reduced in the last 30years. I pay slightly less now than I did in 1992 now for a flight to southern africa.
Coupled with that of course is the other problems which are a
MAJOR factor big time and that is the lawlessness and the poaching that exists with governments doing very little or nothing to combat it collectively through eg SADC or AU. Or have I got it wrong about these “clubs” which are only there to protect the leaders?
This blind mouse robert should wind in and stop whining because no one wants to listen to an unethical and immoral failure. Amaze the world by cleaning up your own short comings and behaving in the manner expected of a head of government who knows and understands the job description. These useless tirades against successful nations who have no inclination and no need to heed any advice whatsoever from a serial failure are surely a disservice and a waste to the Zimbabwean taxpayers.
This oupa or vasekuru has always been confused. It is indeed sad that the British under Margaret Thatcher bestowed his leadership on the peace loving Zimbabweans. What we are ripping are the results of Thatcher’s decisions!
in the history of humanity the white has allways been the devil deciving the african to his advantage. the president noes what he is saying and he will allways blame the west because they are the owners of the crime. robert is one man who stands for the african community and here he is raising an alarm to the african community. but what seems to be the problem is that the african child has came to deopend on the whiteman the same man who in pursuite of his own intrest, invereded our fore fathers on their own land and resources. my question to my fellow africans today is what good did the white man ever do, that you will take his side and demonise your fellow african leader. remember if it wasnt for man and woman like mugabe zimbabwe wouldnt have attained its importance