Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) on Tuesday hosted a group of 22 Chinese tourists who are the first organised tourism group from the Asian country after Covid-19.
The country recorded an increase in arrivals from China last year, surpassing the 2021 numbers as the return of organised groups rubberstamp fruits of the Second Republic’s policy of engagement and re-engagement.
The pandemic-induced lockdown travel restrictions had severely crippled tourism operations as global arrivals plummeted from 1,465 billion in 2019 to an all-time low of 406,89 million in 2020.
Global tourism receipts dropped from US$1,467 trillion in 2019 to US$549,8 billion in 2020.
Zimbabwe as a destination was not spared from the negative effects of the pandemic as visitor arrivals dropped from 2,29 million in 2019 to 639 000 in 2020 while receipts plunged from US$1,25 billion in 2019 to only US$360 million in 2020, the ZTA has said.
Speaking at the Victoria Falls International Airport where a welcome ceremony for the first Chinese group of tourists from China to Zimbabwe, acting ZTA chief executive, Mr Givemore Chidzidzi, said the country was excited about the coming back of organised groups as it heralds a new recovery trajectory for tourism from China.
The group landed aboard an Ethiopian Airways aircraft and were being handled by Wild Africa Travel, working with the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe.
“It is indeed a great honour to witness the arrival of this special group of visitors to Zimbabwe – the first organised tour group from the People’s Republic of China, after the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Mr Chidzidzi.
“All markets including the Chinese market suffered massive decline from 2019 to 2020. Before the pandemic, Zimbabwe received 22 000 visitors from China but this declined to a paltry 3 634 arrivals in 2020.
“It is, however, interesting to note that while overall arrivals further declined to 381 million visitors in 2021 from the 639 million recorded in 2020, the Chinese market defied this trend and recorded a growth of 148 percent from 3 634 in 2020 to 9 020 in 2021, thus showing signs of recovery.”
Mr Chidzidzi said 2022 saw some recovery with total arrivals reaching 1 043 781 and tourism receipts totalling US$911 million, although far below the pre-pandemic levels. However, arrivals from the Chinese market, at 23 422 have surpassed the 2019 mark, he said.
Mr Chidzidzi said the recent opening of the Chinese travel market and local marketing offensive means Zimbabwe can only hope for better results going forward.
“The engagement and re-engagement efforts by the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, under the able leadership of His Excellency, President E D Mnangagwa, has seen the country’s renewed tourism activity in China,” he said.
“The deployment of a Tourism Attaché to China towards the end of last year bears testimony to the importance attached to this market,” said Mr Chidzidzi.
He said ZTA working together with the local tourism industry, has stepped up marketing efforts in China, with the country set to participate at China’s leading travel show, China International Travel Mart later this year as well as the hosting of trade and media familiarisation tours.
ZTA plans to host more than 20 buyers from China at the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo to be held in October this year, in a bid to equip the Chinese travel trade with the destination knowledge and contacts to effectively package and sell destination Zimbabwe.
Mr Chidzidzi acknowledged the role played by international airlines in providing destination access from the overseas markets. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter