Harare — THE Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe has called on the Government to complement the $10 billion facility announced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe with a revolving fund for the sector.

"The gesture by the central bank is welcome, this is just a contribution from the RBZ and it is appreciated," HAZ president Mr Fungai Mutseyekwa said of the fund set to develop the tourism sector announced by central bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono last week.

"We, however, hope that the authorities will set up a revolving fund for the sector."

He said that they were still to find out how the new facility would operate and how players in the sector could access it.

Mr Mutseyekwa, meanwhile, called for a loan facility that recognises the capital intensive nature of the industry and provides a relaxed loan repayment regime.

The Productive Sector Facility set up a couple of years ago was taken up by very few players in the industry because of the stringent conditions attached to it, he said.

The facility, Mr Mutseyekwa noted, was unsuitable in that it required borrowers to repay the loan within a period of six months to one year, which was too short for the sector.

He said the HAZ congress to be held from May 23 to 25, would address the brain drain affecting the sector, adequate training of staff in the catering sector and the competitiveness of products.

It would also look at how individual tourist operators can complement the efforts by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to promote the country's image ahead of the 2010 soccer world cup to be held in South Africa.

Tourism has for the past six years been battered by negative reports by the western media emanating from the Government's decision to equitably distribute land in 2000.

However, efforts being made by the sector are beginning to bear fruit with an increase in arrivals from countries such as Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal last year. -- New Ziana.