Zimbabwe signs 7 Air Services Agreements

 The government says it has ratified seven bilateral air services agreements in a development which will see more tourist arrivals and an improvement on the sector's gross domestic product (GDP) contribution. The Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Walter Mzembi revealed that cabinet approved the ratification of seven bilateral air service agreements, adding that the move is expected to boost the sector's revenue and its contribution to the GDP.

Mzembi, who was addressing senior army officers at the Zimbabwe Staff College, said his ministry has adopted several strategies which will be used to achieve the targets which were set by the government. "We are expected to contribute at least $3 billion to the GDP by 2018 from the current $851 million," he said. Mzembi said some of the strategies to improve the tourism sector's GDP contribution include the liberalisation of visas and the internal distribution of tourists. Currently, the tourism sector contributes 10 percent to the GDP.

Meanwhile, airline passengers have increased by 24 percent with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) saying the figures recorded last year confirm that the country's connectivity has improved. A total of 594 000 arrivals came through local airports in 2013 up from 481 000 in 2012. Harare International Airport accounted for the bulk of the arrivals. CAAZ attributed the increase to improved connectivity brought about by new airlines in the skies. The hosting of major conferences such as the UNWTO General Assembly, as well as Air Zimbabwe's resumption of normal services were also cited as other factors that contributed to the increase in arrivals.

Local travel and tourism executive, Zodwa Mkandla said the government should be commended for its extensive marketing efforts of the country, highlighting that this augurs well for the tourism industry. "This means the airlines are making money, the travel agents are making money and I am sure CAAZ is smiling all the way to the bank," she said. Data from CAAZ shows that Harare International Airport recorded 435 000 arrivals, 90 percent of which were international arrivals while Victoria Falls and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo airports recorded 107 000 and 45 100 passengers respectively.
 

Air travel has been on the increase in the country since Zimbabwe embraced some of the key principles of the open skies policy. Some of the airlines that resumed flights into the country include Emirates, British Airways, Mozambique's lAM Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Egypt Air.

 

Source: Bulawayo24

Zimbabwe Govt Signs Pact With Qatar,Turkey

GOVERNMENT has signed Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) with the Qatar and Turkish government which will result in the latter's airlines flying into Harare. A BASA is an agreement which two nations sign to allow international commercial air transport services between their territories.

 

This was revealed by Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi during a tourism stakeholders meeting held recently where he castigated Government for its slow response to signing such agreements which are very critical to the tourism sector. The BASA with Qatar had been on the table for the past seven years despite the fact that Qatar Airways was among several airlines that had expressed a strong interest in flying to Zimbabwe.

 

Qatar Airways is seeking to link Zimbabwe to destinations in the Far and Middle East, Indian sub-continent, Europe and Australasia via the airline's hub in Doha. Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke said while a BASA was critical in the establishment of air service between two countries; it was not the only option. He said that countries could also go the route of a Memorandum of Understanding while the BASA is being concluded. "The alternative to a BASA is an MOU which can be drawn up and signed within a week or two while waiting for the BASA which takes longer to conclude but obviously not seven years, that is too long," he said.

 

This is not the first time that the Government has delayed in signing a BASA, it also took time to sign one with the United Arab Emirates to enable Emirates airlines to fly into the country. Emirates only managed to start operating between Harare and Dubai in February 2012 several years after it had expressed interest to establish service between the two cities. Apart from Emirates, Zimbabwe has welcomed the return of KLM, which last flew into Harare in 1999, Air Namibia, Egyptair, Linhas Aereas de Mocambique Airline.

 

Since 2009, Zimbabwe has been a major target of several airlines that are seeking to establish or re-establish air-links with Harare because of the centrality of Harare within the Southern African region and problems besetting the national airline, Air Zimbabwe which has prevented it from reclaiming it former routes. Air Zimbabwe resumed domestic flights in 2012 before introducing service on the Harare-Johannesburg route last year.

 

Several foreign airlines suspended flights into the country between 1998 and 2008 due to the economic challenges prevailing in the country at the time. Among them were Austrian Airlines, Swiss Air, Air India, Air France and TAP Air Portugal, Air Mauritius, Linhas Aereas de Mocambique Airline, Royal Swazi Airlines and Air Seychelles, Air Tanzania, Ghana Airways, Air Uganda and Air Cameroon.

 

Source: AllAfrica