'EU - Zimbabwe sanctions have cost us $100 billion,' says Mzembi

Zimbabwe has lost in excess of staggering $100 billion in material and intellectual value since relations with former colonial minister Britain turned sour at the end of the last century, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi has said.

In a lecture presented at prestigious British university, Oxford, recently, Mzembi said Europe needed to fund Zimbabwe's turnaround as happened with the reparations period that developed Germany and Japan following the end of World War 11.

Focusing on the recent re-engagement efforts by the west after decade and half of acrimony, the cabinet minister, who has consistently tried to sell Brand Zimbabwe, said the efforts to return the country to its former glory needed tangible support from Europe and Britain in particular.

Meanwhile, Mzembi has targeted to attract at least 2 million visitors from the 200 million outbound Chinese travellers into Zimbabwe by 2020.

Mzembi said that he had set a target of attracting at least 1 percent of the 200 million outbound Chinese tourists projected in six years' time.

Minister Mzembi said this while addressing a Zimbabwe Defence Forces contingent at his offices. He said the plan was part of wider efforts to recapture visitors from major traditional source markets.

The minister said Government was working on various initiatives to grow the tourism sector into a $5 billion economy by 2020.

Zimbabwe generated $793 million from tourism in 2013. Minister Mzembi said had the sector not been affected by negative publicity, it would be worth $12 billion.