Time for Zim tourism sector to shine

Gibson Mhaka
Zimbabwe and Zambia will, for the next five days, jointly host the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly after last month’s peaceful harmonised elections.From politics, economics to tourism, Zimbabwe is defying all odds and confounding its detractors especially with reports that it has recorded a 17 percent increase in tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2013 with all major markets registering increases in the number of people visiting the country.

According to a Tourism Trends and Statistics Report which was released by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) recently, tourist arrivals in the quarter stood at 404 282 up from 346 299 in 2012.

“There was a general increase from markets within the Sadc region especially Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, and this is mostly attributable to regional trade and commerce within the region.  For instance South Africa contributes 58 percent of Zimbabwean imports while 13 percent of Zimbabwe’s exports go to South Africa alone.

This growth is clearly a witness of the country’s improved destination image, resuming competitiveness in the region,” reads part of the report.

The report also notes that while all markets registered growth, arrivals from Europe and Asia experienced significant increases which have been, to an extent, due to the increased outbound trend especially in China and the softening of the euro zone crisis with UK and France contributing significant increases in arrivals to Zimbabwe.

These figures are clearly a witness to the country’s improved destination image and an indication that the tourism sector is heading for a bright future.

Indeed according to the ZTA, the impressive results were due to team-work, focus and self-belief of the tourism industry and the Government in general.

In a bid to turn around the fortunes of the sector, a number of strategies were adopted including the establishment of a Tourism and Image Taskforce to correct the impediments and repositioning Zimbabwe as “Africa’s paradise” and the perception management campaign which was set up to fight the negative publicity in overseas markets.

Tourist arrivals into Zimbabwe declined sharply from 2000 as the country deteriorated into a prolonged phase of turmoil that was fuelled by a bolt of travel warnings in Japan, the US, Germany and Britain, among other countries in response to a political and economic developments in the country.  But arrivals have been showing an upward trend of late.

The improved number of tourist arrivals ahead of the global event, UNWTO is good news for the country which suffered a knock in tourist arrivals at the turn of the millennium due to negative publicity which was being propagated by Western media accusing the Government of breaching the tenets of democracy, human rights and rule of law.

Because of the negative perception, tourists preferred neighbouring countries which resoundingly benefited from the onslaught.
Western media especially, the British reporting of the country and pronouncements by its government had been so shrill that some of the truth has been lost in the thick envelope of the hype.

According to some British media outlets, everything that happens in Zimbabwe is bad.
They have tried very hard, but unsuccessfully, to foster discord and peddle lies about the situation in Zimbabwe claiming that it is volatile and is not as a safe tourist destination during the UNWTO general assembly.

Following this barrage of criticism, Zimbabwe was deemed dangerous by some who felt it was in the same blanket as war-torn countries like Sudan and Somalia. Because of these sensational media reports international tourists were worrying about their safety when contemplating visiting Zimbabwe.

Moreover, the illegal economic sanctions coupled with adverse travel advice issued by Western governments discouraging their citizens from visiting Zimbabwe, ensured a sharp decline in Western arrivals.

However, the peaceful environment, which prevailed before, during and after the just-ended harmonised elections where President Mugabe triumphed in the Presidential race after polling over 61 percent against MDC-T’s Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s 33, 9 percent is a testament that Zimbabwe is a safe tourism destination.

During his visit to the country last month to assess the preparatory work the Government is making ahead the international tourism conference, UNWTO Secretary-General Mr Taleb Rifai endorsed Zimbabwe as a safe tourism destination.

Mr Rifai said the international community should visit the country during the UNWTO general assembly and enjoy its hospitality adding that the negative publicity Zimbabwe was receiving was unjustified.

“In view of the negative publicity of Zimbabwe as a tourism destination, what I can only do is to urge all those to come and see for themselves. Zimbabwe is a safe destination. They should come and feel the land, the people warmth and hospitality,” said Mr Rifai.

He expressed optimism that the UNWTO conference to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia would be a success.
Mr Rifai’s endorsement of the country as a safe tourist destination is likely to change perceptions by tourists, following the negative publicity Zimbabwe has been subjected to over the past decade by the Western media.

His acknowledgment was also backed by Vice-President Joice Mujuru who declared that the country was ready to co-host the tourism indaba and to welcome all the delegates from all over the world.

“I am happy to declare to the world that we are ready to co-host the UNWTO general assembly with Zambia”, declared VP Mujuru.
For those who intend to visit Zimbabwe during the UNWTO, the country is not as bad as the Western media make it and a visit to the country’s tourist wonders like Victoria Falls, Nyanga, and Hwange National Park among others will afford them an opportunity to see the beauty of Africa.