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Zimbabwe Turns To Tourism
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The National Tourism Marketing Plan which seeks to offer effective tourist attraction and retention strategies in Zimbabwe is expected to come on board before the end of July 2006.
In a recent interview, Karikoga Kaseke, chief executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority said that the National Taskforce on tourism has already approved the document.
However, three key stakeholders will soon add their voices to the plan after which it will be submitted to the National Economic Recovery Council (NERC) for approval. A part of the proposed plan, most notably the expansion of border towns, is already being implemented in the interim under the auspices of the National Economic Development Priority Programme (NEDPP).
Under the proposed marketing plan, whose draft has already been compiled, emphasis would be placed on regaining and asserting the country’s dominance in traditional markets. And incorporated in this measure will be a cross-analysis of local, regional, and global tourism trends and receipts received locally from the venture.
It will also seeks to penetrate new markets and to develop domestic tourism to a sizable
level. Although the estimated budget required for the implementation of the programme
is yet to be made available, proposals point to the need for infrastructure development. Kaseke said that the strategies contained in the final document would mark a clear departure from the experience local tourism has undergone in the past few years.
Apart from the negative publicity about Zimbabwe, which saw tourist arrivals plummeting, the country lacked a defined strategy to lure tourists back. Recent statistics
showed that despite the Chinese awarding the country Approved Tourism Destination status, Chinese arrivals to Zimbabwe had tumbled by nearly 70% of previous figures.
This was attributed to the lack of proper marketing strategies, a situation that has seen Chinese nationals opting to visit other countries in Southern Africa, but this recent innovation is expected to see the industry marketing itself more purposefully.
According to some industry experts, tourism has the potential to significantly contribute to sustainable economic growth, especially in developing countries.
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