VAT makes Zimbabwe expensive

Zimbabwe's tourism products already cost 35 percent more than similar offerings from the region and Value Added Tax on accommodation for non-residents will worsen its profile as an expensive destination.

Zimbabwe Council for Tourism president Francis Ngwenya said Zimbabwe was considered a more expensive destination and the new VAT on hotel accommodation for non-residents had made accommodation bookings by foreigners not viable.

There is fear in the sector that the new tax will derail efforts to rebuild foreign tourist volumes from the current 240 000 to the golden era when arrivals reached over 600 000.