Transport Choices and Tourism Destination Competitiveness: The Case of Zimbabwe

Abstract

The tourism industry in Zimbabwe has experienced fluctuating trends in its growth since the dawn of the new millennium. The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry undertook a visitor exit survey in 2015/2016 period. The purpose of the study was to gather visitors’ views on Zimbabwe as a tourist destination in order to guide policy formulation on the sector. One of the objectives of the survey was to assess the visitor perceptions of Zimbabwe as a competitive tourist destination. Questionnaires were administered to departing visitors at the country’s three international airports and seven border posts during the period July 2015 until June 2016. The results of the survey indicated that 77% of visitors use road transport to enter into the country. The survey also showed that 18% of visitors to the country travelled by air. It is recommended that that the government accelerates the implementation of the open skies policy so as to attract more direct international airlines to fly into the country. It is also recommended that the government undertakes massive improvement of the road infrastructure in the country so as to encourage the geographical distribution of tourists within the country. It is finally recommended that the private sector and the national tourist organization, Zimbabwe Tourist Authority (ZTA) engage international tour operators and persuade them to develop and promote fly-drive tour packages to the country.