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Players in the tourism sector are agreed on the need for increased collaboration and creation of price sensitive packages to boost domestic tourism which has the potential to immediately impact positively on the sector hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic
Countries across the globe are on lockdown as part of measures to contain the spread of the pandemic and as such have imposed international travel restrictions. The sector’s cash cow has over the years been the lucrative international travellers but now most of these travellers have been forced to either cancel or postpone travelling.
After lobbying from the sector, Government has agreed to partially open domestic tourism facilities and industry players have been busy of late, trying to strategise and implement measures to revive business.
The Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) recently held a virtual Tourism Stakeholders Interface as part of efforts to support and intensify resuscitation of the country’s domestic tourism. Price modelling and the need for aggressive marketing took centre stage. A cross section of stakeholders from the tourism industry value chain together with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) joined the webinar to strategise on ways to revive the country’s domestic tourism in line with Goverment’s post Covid-19 Tourism Growth and Recovery Strategy.
ZTA Domestic Tourism and Strategic Research Director, Ms Sophie Zirebwa, said the efforts being made by the tourism sector to develop and increase the prospects of domestic tourism in the country were in order. She said the tourism body was excited by the industry’s eagerness to develop and promote domestic tourism, particularly the much needed improvements in the leisure side of domestic tourism.
“There were quite candid discussions in the meeting with operators. They interrogated their business models and critical issues emerged on the pricing of tourism products and services. They also noted the lack of domestic tourism packages and the general lack of information about what is available such as the tourism attractions and activities that can be accessed by locals,” she said.
Ms Zirebwa said that ZTA was happy to observe that within the discussions, the tourism industry players were proposing solutions and giving timelines to solve the identified challenges.
“One of the proposals that came up was for players to cooperate and collaborate in terms of creating packages, which are price sensitive,” she said.
Ms Zirebwa said another issue that also came through which she said was important, was the need for operators to come together and roll out an awareness campaign to promote domestic tourism.
HAZ president Mr Clive Chinwada said the meeting resolved that there was an immediate need to come up with tourism value chain activities including transport, accommodation and activities in various destinations replicating what used to be the Flame Lily tours.
“These packages must suit every pocket and encourage tourism industry value chain players to work together for survival as well as to ensure the competitiveness of destination Zimbabwe,” he said.
Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe president, Ms Winnie Muchanyuka, encouraged the sector to improve on collaboration.
“We have been fragmented, we need to collaborate more. We need to continue working together as stakeholders in the sector. To be honest, ZTA has done it’s best to lead with messaging but we as players have been lagging behind on complementing their efforts,” she said.
The tourism stakeholders interface webinar comes on the heels of a recent ZTA organised service excellence training engagement, which is also part of the preparations to revive the country’s domestic tourism.
Preparations to launch the Tourism Growth and Recovery Strategy are underway.
Online Reporter