HIGH-END and celebrity endorsement of Zimbabwe’s tourism is important and helps spread the word that we are a country with something very special to offer, but even more important is that we deliver to every visitor no matter how important or how humble.
Last year, Zimbabwe was ranked by the influential Forbes magazine as the world’s top tourism destination, based on a wide range of criteria that included a hospitable people, a safe environment and good value for money along with the more obvious attractions.
Importantly that ranking came from Forbes readers who had visited Zimbabwe, and had clearly enjoyed their stay. It was a survey, not an advertisement.
Among the several high-profile visitors we have welcomed is British billionaire and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, now in Zimbabwe to celebrate his 74th birthday, play some golf on top courses, visit game and natural beauty areas and enjoy the hospitality. He highlighted the natural attractions and the welcoming people.
Other high-profile visitors have made similar public remarks and given similar endorsement. Alongside those there have been some equally prominent visitors who wanted to remain entirely private, and we were able to cater for them as well.
But that privacy obviously did not extend to keeping quiet to their friends, and the world of mouth endorsements have helped boost tourism and speciality tourism.
There are a lot of tourism destinations advertising attractions around the world.
Some of this is useful, giving critical information about hotels and other places to stay, pricing, transport and other practicalities, usually to people who have already decided to give Zimbabwe a visit, or are close to choosing us for their next trip.
But those people are usually ready to visit because they have heard, from friends or colleagues or others they trust that Zimbabwe is worth a good look for their next holiday. We can lose all that goodwill in a very short time if we mess things up and do not live up to expectations.
Our tourism industry has been built, very largely, on a couple of major attractions, which we share with neighbours, and that word-of-mouth endorsement and recommendation.
We do, of course, need to make sure that what we offer is clearly deliverable.
This is one reason why the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority sets standards, grades accommodation, services and facilities and generally makes sure that what a visitor pays for and expects is what the visitor gets, with no ripping off and no skulduggery.
Most people involved in our tourism industry start off with that as a matter of personal pride, but the odd misfit cannot spoil the work of the rest.
But that is only part of the story. You cannot grade knowledgeable and friendly hosts, and you certainly cannot grade an entire population that generally is interested in foreign visitors and is generally welcoming.
Our multi-cultural nation helps a lot here. For example, regardless of your religion, you can almost certainly be directed to a welcoming place of worship and regardless of your origins Zimbabweans will be interested, not worried or insular.
Nor can you grade the general safety of Zimbabwe, that anyone can walk along our streets without worrying about whether they stand out or not.
Zimbabweans do not fuss about externals and that is not something that is automatic in many parts of the world. Xenophobia is very far indeed from Zimbabwean minds and actions, which adds to our attractions.
One interesting point about Sir Ratcliffe’s generous praise of Zimbabwe as a holiday destination is that there was nothing all that personally special about what he is seeing, except for the fact that this is what all visitors should expect.
He did not arrive with container loads of equipment for holiday. He just flew in. The immigration and customs officers he saw on arrival welcome hundreds of visitors every day, and are trained to be efficient and helpful.
The hotel and safari camps where he is staying are open to all; the golf course he plays on is non-exclusive; his transport arrangements were all worked out locally; the restaurants where he eats are there for others.
He put together the holiday he wanted from the vast range of attractions and services available, and that is what he is getting, with a smile.
We can do that for every visitor, and we need to do that for every visitor so we maintain our reputation as one of the world’s premier tourism destinations.
The hospitality must go beyond the Victoria Falls, to other world heritage Unesco sites and unspoiled environments.
It takes people who take pride in what they do and want to do it well to keep brand Zimbabwe on an upward trend.
