News / National
Zim-EU relations thawing?
07 May 2014 at 15:47hrs | Views
In a development that could indicate a further thawing of relations between Zimbabwe and the European Union (EU), the European Union Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT) has unanimously awarded Zimbabwe the World Best Tourist Destination for 2014.
Addressing journalists this morning the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Walter Mzembi said the key outcome of the award was the country being endorsed by the EU.
"We are being endorsed by a market that had placed us on sanctions - for lack of a better word. We negotiated off the European Union travel advisories as way back as June 2009….Our type of sanctions in tourism relate to travel advisories. This is a warning on tourists not to visit a destination for cited reasons and when I got appointed in January 2009, there was a blanket travel advisory from the EU on Zimbabwe."
The Minister said they are now looking to boost tourism arrivals from the European market.
"In 1999 Europe and the Americas accounted for 31 percent of our arrivals, today they are down to 13 percent. The plan now is to recover to those levels, and such recovery comes through such recognition as we are celebrating today - an endorsement of Zimbabwe. I am expecting that there will be a fresh perspective on Zimbabwe from Europe riding on the back of this endorsement," he said.
The ECTT's World Best Tourist Destination for 2014 award was bestowed upon Zimbabwe essentially for promoting ecotourism and successfully convening the 20th General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation in August last year.
"Among other reasons is the promotion and support offered to a new concept of community natural protection supporting tourism friendly to nature, with low ecological impact and preservation of natural biodiversity and protection of endangered species and areas," reads part of an ECTT letter addressed to the Minister.
The ECTT draws its members from 27 nations of the European Union.
Minister Mzembi said a delegation from the ECTT will be visiting Zimbabwe at the end of this month to confer the award to the head of State President Robert Mugabe.
The granting of Zimbabwe with the World Best Tourist destination is another step by the EU pointing to a thawing of relations between the two parties.
In 2012, the EU suspended its sanctions, or what it terms "appropriate measures" which represented a major shift in the EU's approach to Zimbabwe.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is also planning to re-launch development activities with the country's private sector, and its officials were in the country at the beginning of last year.
Addressing journalists this morning the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Walter Mzembi said the key outcome of the award was the country being endorsed by the EU.
"We are being endorsed by a market that had placed us on sanctions - for lack of a better word. We negotiated off the European Union travel advisories as way back as June 2009….Our type of sanctions in tourism relate to travel advisories. This is a warning on tourists not to visit a destination for cited reasons and when I got appointed in January 2009, there was a blanket travel advisory from the EU on Zimbabwe."
The Minister said they are now looking to boost tourism arrivals from the European market.
"In 1999 Europe and the Americas accounted for 31 percent of our arrivals, today they are down to 13 percent. The plan now is to recover to those levels, and such recovery comes through such recognition as we are celebrating today - an endorsement of Zimbabwe. I am expecting that there will be a fresh perspective on Zimbabwe from Europe riding on the back of this endorsement," he said.
The ECTT's World Best Tourist Destination for 2014 award was bestowed upon Zimbabwe essentially for promoting ecotourism and successfully convening the 20th General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation in August last year.
The ECTT draws its members from 27 nations of the European Union.
Minister Mzembi said a delegation from the ECTT will be visiting Zimbabwe at the end of this month to confer the award to the head of State President Robert Mugabe.
The granting of Zimbabwe with the World Best Tourist destination is another step by the EU pointing to a thawing of relations between the two parties.
In 2012, the EU suspended its sanctions, or what it terms "appropriate measures" which represented a major shift in the EU's approach to Zimbabwe.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is also planning to re-launch development activities with the country's private sector, and its officials were in the country at the beginning of last year.
Source - BH24
