adminVandudzai Zirebwa Buy Zimbabwe
The past week has been an extraordinary one for Zimbabwe on both the sporting and business fronts. On the sporting front our national soccer and cricket teams finally managed to remember how to win. Our national soccer team, the Warriors, overcame their Zambian counterparts Chipolopolo of Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Sunday to qualify for the 2014 CHAN finals to be held in South Africa. This was Zambia’s first loss at the giant stadium since it opened in May last year.
The national cricket team managed to get the better of their erstwhile opponents Pakistan, their first win against the Asians in 15 years.
On the business front, Air Zimbabwe acquitted itself well during the just-ended UNWTO General Assembly as it shuttled delegates between Harare and Victoria Falls.
The Buy Zimbabwe team had the honour of joining hundreds of delegates who trooped to Victoria Falls for the UNWTO indaba which Zimbabwe co-hosted with Zambia.
The trepidation which once confronted us as we hit the 900km stretch from Harare by road was replaced by an Air Zimbabwe flight which was well on time.
UNWTO itself was a joyous celebration of the richness of African cultures, traditions and Zimbabwe’s welcome return to the international arena.
After more than a decade in the economic wilderness we had been reduced to a pariah state few wanted to associate with.
But on the beautiful opening night, in which a ceremony was held against the background of a roaring and mighty Zambezi River, it was evident that the time had come for the world to take a glimpse at our country’s beauty, marvel at the pristine nature of Victoria Falls and wonder how our premier resort town had maintained her beauty in spite of the hardships endured by the country.
Hotels, lodges, backpackers and even homes were all full. Local and international tourists were once again the main highlight.
What a shame that our restaurants that had become unaccustomed to such numbers seem to have been caught unawares.
At one restaurant situated in the middle of the Victoria Falls and specialising in African dishes, it took hours for patrons to be served.
The price of dishes also appeared to be structured for once in a lifetime killing. The price of a local dish of sadza and nyama would change from US$10 in the afternoon to US$15 in the evening.
On the other hand, Zambian hotels were running huge promotions and this spoilt the return of delegates to the Zimbabwean side.
That said, small- to medium-scale industries especially makers of various artefacts were right on point to ensure that the UNWTO vibe found them in place.
Most travelled from places far afield, such as Mutare, Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru, to name a few to exhibit their wares and enjoy the chance of enticing tourists to spend their dollars on local pieces.
A youthful team from Bulawayo, Friends of Joshua Trust, was perhaps the most innovative. The team, with the support of Mimosa Mining Company, set up a Cultural Village adjacent to the conference venue, which provided a glimpse into the cultural and historical life in Zimbabwe.
Traditional foods from different parts of the country were served to guests while various traditional practices and dances were exhibited for free at the village.
The young team also went out of its way to create a photographic exhibition of various leaders who have graced the Zimbabwean socio-economic and political landscape.
When Buy Zimbabwe inquired how the team, so young, could create a scene so beautiful and so real, the team attributed it to their sense of belief, pride in their nationhood and a spirit that defies financial limitations to reach their ultimate goal.
If UNWTO has a prize for the most innovative piece many would not be surprised if the team led by young Beverly Pullen lands it.
In any case, if tourism is about exposing the world to the true Zimbabwe, then these young persons have more than excelled at creating a brand that can attract the world and ensure that our country increases foreign currency earnings from the growing sector.
Given the financial squeeze that Zimbabwe has been in and the limited fiscal space available to Government, hats off to Mbada Diamonds, Mimosa Mining Company, the telecoms sector led by Econet Wireless, the banking sector, especially CBZ, and other support sponsors that came through to ensure Zimbabwe is not found wanting at a time her pride was at stake and when she needed to articulate her true nature for the world to see and enjoy.
Worryingly though was the notable absence of some of our leading companies and their representative organisations.
Supposedly these companies and representative bodies defined UNWTO purely as a tourism event in which they had little room to participate.
They perhaps saw tourism and not the national brand and thus felt less obliged to come in with their skills and expertise.
For our country to move forward we must do away with this silo mentality. Many a time we describe our challenges in global and macro terms and yet we are the first not to realise that the reconstruction of the Zimbabwean brand equally demands collective effort.
Even within the tourism sector, one feels more synergies would have helped enhance the occasion to something totally out of this world.
Clearly, it would appear Zimbabwe has been able to properly position herself. Outgoing Tourism and Hospitality Minister Walter Mzembi emerged as one of the few ministers to have won big during his tenure as minister of the inclusive Government and must be applauded for that.
But then again, the work has just started. Now we must go back to benchmarking our service offering against our competitors.
We must look at our pricing and turn-around time and ensure that all these areas are spruced up in order to attract our visitors back to Zimbabwe.
Our domestic airport in Harare must be looked at as well. It needs sprucing up and positioned to the same level or close to the international airport.
That goes for the time luggage takes to arrive at the pick-up point from the time people leave the plane.
UNWTO has come at the right time, soon after the conclusion of peaceful elections. The world in turn has demonstrated its willingness to visit our country.
The challenge is now to ensure that our brand is competitive and that we are ready to fly. The new Cabinet surely has its work cut out.
Till we meet again let’s endeavour to work collectively to grow the Zimbabwean brand.
Next week we share on a response from Dairibord on why their milk sachets have disappeared from the supermarket shelves. We also share on the forthcoming mega Buy Zimbabwe promotional programme.
God bless.
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Online Reporter