By Tichaona Kurewa
STAKEHOLDERS in the tourism industry say the resumption of British Airways ComAir flights from South Africa is set to boost the recovery of the tourism sector.
South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) suspended British Airways ComAir (Comair)‘s flights on Saturday last week, only to lift the suspension this Wednesday.
The move has excited local tourism players as the route connects South Africa with the country’s tourism capital of Victoria Falls.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe Second Vice President, Emmah Kativu summed up the feeling among tourism players and the opportunities that lie ahead.
“It means that our guests now have many options to fly into Zimbabwe. This should boost our tourism arrivals. More airlines on the Zimbabwe route will eventually see airfares going down. We are getting back to our new normal and business is getting back. So it’s a welcome development for us, it also means that those clients who are loyal to the airline will also find their way into Zimbabwe,” said Kativu.
Tourism Executive, Judith Dzimbanhete added her voice saying the future looks bright.
“It’s a big relief as business was now been affected. We had a lot of no shows because of the problem that had affected the airline. We are grateful because of the resumption, we don’t expect huddles of this nature, especially after the Covid-19 related challenges,” she noted.
Increased air access for destination Zimbabwe is in sync with the country’s target to achieve a US$five billion tourism economy by 2025.