Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka [email protected]
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa’s drive to position tourism as a key pillar of economic growth is opening new doors for Zimbabwe, with European tourism buyers touring destinations beyond Victoria Falls as the country intensifies efforts to diversify its international tourism markets.
The German and French buyers, who arrived at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo yesterday, said they had been impressed by Zimbabwe’s rich mix of wildlife, scenery, culture and hospitality after travelling from Victoria Falls through Hwange to Bulawayo and onward to Masvingo.
Their visit is part of a familiarisation tour organised ahead of the 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo, which is being held in Masvingo from Wednesday to Saturday.
The initiative is aimed at giving international tourism professionals first-hand experience of Zimbabwe’s diverse tourism products so they can market the country as a multi-destination destination rather than one centred predominantly on Victoria Falls.
For the Second Republic, the strategy dovetails with President Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement policy, which seeks to reconnect Zimbabwe with international markets while opening opportunities for investment, trade and tourism.
German tour operator Mr Florian Hennig, from Natürlich-Reisen, said the trip had demonstrated the breadth of Zimbabwe’s tourism offering.
“We are a tour operator operating worldwide, but focus on Africa as well. So I’ve been invited to experience Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mr Hennig said the group started its tour in Victoria Falls before travelling to Hwange National Park, where they encountered Zimbabwe’s renowned wildlife.
“We started in Victoria Falls, which is a very prime tourist destination with a lot of beautiful waterfalls. We are just coming from Hwange National Park to get a view of the amazing wildlife, with a lot of lions, elephants there,” he said.
The tour then took the buyers to Bulawayo before they proceed to Matobo area and then to Masvingo for the tourism expo.
“Now we are in Bulawayo, continuing to Matopos and I’m looking forward to seeing that. It has been really amazing so far and we have wonderful days ahead, so I’m really looking forward to it,” said Mr Hennig.
Beyond the attractions, he said Zimbabwe presented considerable opportunities for tourism investment.
“I think the investment possibilities are endless here. There’s so much to see, the people are so nice and you can do so many different things. It’s really amazing,” he said.
French tourism buyer Mr Romain Larriew said the warm reception from Zimbabweans had left a lasting impression on the delegation.
“We’ve been invited by the Zimbabwe Government, so thanks for that. We just arrived a few days ago, and so far we’re really enjoying it. It’s an amazing country, we have very nice people and they’ve been helpful everywhere,” he said.
Mr Larriew said experiencing the country first-hand would give tourism professionals in France greater confidence when promoting Zimbabwe.
“They welcomed us perfectly, so far it’s a very good experience, and we are eager to see what we can discover in the rest of the country,” he said.
Mr Larriew said interest in Zimbabwe was growing in the French market, presenting opportunities for the country to attract more visitors.
“It looks like the country is getting more and more tourists, and I think that’s a good thing for all the population,” he said.
“In France there are more and more people who want to come to Zimbabwe, so it’s a good thing to come here and discover, to be able to say how it is, and to push them to come to Zimbabwe, to visit by themselves.”
Another German visitor, Ms Anja Schmidt, said Zimbabwe’s hospitality and variety of attractions made it competitive as a tourist destination.
“As a tourist, you fly in probably via any other destination and then you have the warm welcome of the lovely people in Zimbabwe and then there are many, many tourist attractions that you can visit,” she said.
Ms Schmidt said tourists should look beyond Victoria Falls when planning trips to Zimbabwe.
“At Victoria Falls, I love the smile of the people, the weather and especially the falls for sure,” she said.
Ms Schmidt also praised Zimbabwe’s accommodation options, saying the country could cater for tourists across different income brackets.
“You have different options of accommodation from low star to high star. You can have it for every budget, so come here,” she said.
Tourism Attaché at the Zimbabwean Embassy in Berlin, Germany, Mrs Sophie Zirebwa, said 18 European tourism agencies from Germany and France had been brought into the country to experience its tourism products directly.
“I brought with me 18 European agencies, together with my colleague in France, Audrey. The purpose of this FAM tour is really to convince the agencies to promote Zimbabwe more,” she said.
Mrs Zirebwa said Zimbabwe was deliberately broadening its tourism footprint to reduce the concentration of international visitors around Victoria Falls.
“You know, in the past, they were only focusing on Victoria Falls, but we want to increase the geographic spread of tourists to cover other areas like Metropolitan Zimbabwe and the Eastern Highlands,” she said.
Mrs Zirebwa said allowing international agents to experience the country themselves was critical because it equipped them with first-hand knowledge to sell Zimbabwe more effectively.
“The purpose of bringing them here is for them to know the product so that they will be able to convince more tourists that they intend to promote,” she said.
Mrs Zirebwa said the initiative was consistent with President Mnangagwa’s development philosophy of ensuring that tourism benefits were spread across the country.
“So, this is in line with the President’s vision, leaving no place and no one behind,” she said.
Mrs Zirebwa said Zimbabwe’s relatively uncrowded safari destinations were another advantage that the country could use to distinguish itself in international markets.
“We are offering authentic experiences, uncrowded. They have crowded safari experiences but in Zimbabwe, it’s still very authentic and uncrowded,” said Mrs Zirebwa.
The journey from Victoria Falls through Hwange, Bulawayo and Matobo to Masvingo effectively showcases the broader tourism circuit Government is seeking to promote.
For communities and businesses along the route, a wider geographical spread of tourists could translate into increased demand for accommodation, transport, guiding services, restaurants, crafts, cultural experiences and other tourism-related products.
The benefits could extend beyond direct tourist spending, with increased visitor numbers creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs and communities to participate more actively in the tourism value chain.
The European familiarisation tour therefore represents more than a promotional exercise. The buyers are expected to return to Germany and France armed with first-hand knowledge of
Zimbabwe’s attractions, which they can use to package and sell multi-destination itineraries to prospective travellers.
The strategy is also being reinforced through this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo, which has brought together international buyers and tourism stakeholders from key source markets.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has positioned the familiarisation programme as part of efforts to expose international tourism professionals to the depth and diversity of the country’s tourism product, encouraging them to package experiences across multiple destinations.
