Airlines in rush to clinch Zimbabwe licence deals

Published: 05 July 2013

ZIMBABWE is lining up new airline deals amid revelations that scores of airlines are rushing to get licences from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe to fly into the country.

In a recent interview with Business Chronicle, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Engineer Walter Mzembi said there were now 16 airlines flying into the country.

"Zimbabwe and Zambia are lining up new airline deals. Talk of Kenyan Airways, which is now flying into Livingstone and we concluded the Egypt Air deal and all these and other deals are at the back of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly," he said.

Eng Mzembi said delegates coming for the general assembly would not have problems of accessing Livingstone and Victoria Falls.

"Accessibility into this destination is not an issue as there are many airlines that are now flying into Zimbabwe and Zambia. The open skies policy is working and we will also have the open borders policy ahead of the general assembly," he said.

Meanwhile, Eng Mzembi said the Professional Conference Organiser (PCO), a conference company which specialises in the organisation and management of the general assembly, had arrived in Victoria Falls to set up base.

The PCO was going to provide full service management for the general assembly including but not limited to conference design, programme development, registration, site and venue selection and booking, audiovisuals, IT support, logistics, leisure management, marketing, printing and web services and budget control.

"The PCO is here and more importantly, officials dealing with the preparations for the general assembly are moving from Harare to Victoria Falls. This is also the same pattern in Livingstone so that they are on the ground to make sure that preparations go on smoothly," he said.

Eng Mzembi said officials from UNWTO headquarters were also moving into Victoria Falls as from 13 August.

"This just demonstrates how serious we are for this to be a very successful tourism indaba," he said.
- chronicle