adminco-hosting with Zambia of the forthcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly in August this year, the Zimbabwe stand was a hive of activity throughout the fair as some of the buyers sought to negotiate packages that would increase the volume of tourists into the country.
While some tourism operators took the opportunity to relaunch their products at the indaba, others were on an all-out offensive to capitalise on the re-engagement of Zimbabwe as a tourist destination that has been buttressed by the return of several foreign airlines that had abandoned Harare over the years.
National airline Air Zimbabwe was fully represented, and their staffers, including acting general manager (passenger and cargo) Mr Chris Kwenda were kept busy by buyers who were keen to re-engage them after a period of absence from the market.
Topical issues at their stand included resumption of the milk run (Harare-Kariba-Hwange-Victoria Falls), Bulawayo-Johannesburg, Victoria Falls-Johannesburg and the Harare-London flights.
Mr Kwenda said the market also welcomed the Johannesburg daily frequencies and acknowledged the notable schedule integrity of all Air Zimbabwe flights and its unmatched hospitality on board.
The airline’s spokesperson, Ms Shingai Taruvinga, said: “We were here to pursue possibilities of business growth through establishment of partnerships and maintaining old ones. Indaba presented us with a number of exciting opportunities that will add immense value to the Air Zimbabwe brand.”
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke also acknowledged the ongoing developments at Air Zimbabwe and was confident that very soon, Zimbabweans would be celebrating the branded Air Zimbabwe.
He said that Zimbabwe was unstoppable in its quest to regain its status as a favoured tourist destination. Flame Liner Tours sales and marketing manager Mr Innocent Ngwaru, whose company was exhibiting at Indaba for the first time, said they had struck several deals with companies from South Africa, Germany, Kenya and India comprising tour packages around the country.
Mr Charles Chakanya of Zambezi Explorer cruise company said that the luxury cruise liner that they had recently launched on the mighty Zambezi River in Victoria Falls attracted a lot of interest as many doubted that Zimbabwe had the capability of carrying out such a huge project. Mr Kaseke said the success of the Indaba that was co-ordinated by the ZTA lay in how the exhibitors embraced the opportunity to network with other players in the tourism industry.
He said that the Indaba was much better than last year and building on this year’s success, ZTA would next year double the exhibition space that accommodated 38 companies to give them more room interact.
Mr Kaseke said that tourism arrivals this year had taken a serious knock as there was a lot of talk around elections. “We think that elections should be done with so that people are decisive. We cannot separate our politics from tourism and that is the reason why we need the election to be done and we move forward,” he said.
Online Reporter