By Daniel Chigundu
GOVERNMENT has resolved to remit part of the US$150 million owed to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for air tickets purchased in Zimbabwe.
Failure to remit the funds has been making Zimbabwe an unprofitable ticket-issuing destination, a development which saw the likes of Kenya Airlines suspending ticketing in Zimbabwe with many others giving notice of the same.
None repatriation of IATA fees has reportedly affect fiscal operations of most airlines that have been ticketing in Zimbabwe.
Airport transport is critical for the Zimbabwe tourism sector especially at a time when it is working on luring foreign tourists.
In a bid to save situation, Team Tourism led by Minister Prisca Mupfumira met with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya on Sunday to discuss the issues.
And according to Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) head of corporate affairs, Godfrey Koti said “the ministry of finance agreed to pay a huge part of the US$150million debt.
“This move will see airlines accepting the RTGs that they had suspended,” he said.
Tourism is one of the key pillars in the new dispensation economic revival strategy among mining, agriculture and manufacturing.
ZTA has set its sight on improving arrival statistics from China, Russia and many other source markets
