The Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday September 15, 2016 invited key disabled players, national senator Anna Shiri, Paralympic committee secretary general Lewis Garapa, media practitioners, and tourism industry companies to tour major hotels in Harare.
The significance of this tour was to gauge the local hotels’ progress on the availability of universal accessibility, exchange ideas and formulate relevant strategies going forward.
Deputy Tourism and hospitality head Anna Moyo said, “This year’s World Tourism Day celebration theme is ‘Tourism for all Promoting Universal Accessibility’, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is convinced that accessibility for all to tourist facilities , products and services should be a central part of any responsible and sustainable tourism policy.”
“We would like the tourism industry to recognise that people with disabilities have equal rights to tourism services and opportunities.
It was an eye opener for all when they discovered how people with physical disability struggle in some of these luxurious local hotels.
Holiday Inn Hotel came out tops as it had all the required amenities to cater for guests with disabilities in some of the suites.
these men had to carry Lewis Gapara's wheelchair PIC: T. NDABAMBI | ZIMBOJAM.COM
A standard disabled friendly room at the Holiday Inn Hotel PIC: T. NDABAMBI | ZIMBOJAM.COM
A standard disabled friendly room at the Holiday Inn Hotel PIC: T. NDABAMBI | ZIMBOJAM.COM
Senator Anna Shiri walking out the Miekles hotel with Magaret Mvura PIC: T. NDABAMBI | ZIMBOJAM.COM
Facilities provided for the disabled by Monomatapa Hotel PIC: T. NDABAMBI | ZIMBOJAM.COM
Facilities provided for the disabled by Monomatapa Hotel PIC: T. NDABAMBI | ZIMBOJAM.COMLewis Garapa’s wheelchair could easily fit into the spacious bathrooms which where furnished with the correct toilet facilities, bath seats and emergency switches.
Although Monomatapa hotel and Rainbow Towers did not provide everything needed, they also showed that they have the disabled at heart.
At Rainbow Towers the appropriate rooms are located on a floor that makes it easy for a person to access the hotel’s business centre, dining, conference and offices.
The most lacking facility was the Cresta Lodge which has stairs to every room except for one. Garapa’s wheelchair had to be carried everywhere he went and Anna (who has only one leg) also struggled to navigate the steps with her crutches.
The management at Meikles hotel was embarrassed because the hotel only boasts of the wheelchair ramp and nothing else.
Lewis and Anna imparted their ideas of improving the hotel facilities and they also shared how some major international disability conferences have been moved to other nations because Zimbabwean hotels cannot cater for a large group of people with physical disabilities.
