Tourism body appoints corporate affairs head

Oliver Kazunga, Acting Business Editor
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has appointed former Zimpapers marketing and social media manager Mr Godfrey Koti as head of corporate affairs.

He replaces Mr Sugar Chagonda who left the tourism authority last month to join the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company.

Mr Koti brings with him communication management experience he has gained over the years.

Before joining Zimpapers in 2012 as a radio personality and promoted to marketing and social media manager, he was with the Zimbabwe Cricket where he worked in the communications department in Bulawayo, Harare and Mutare.

Mr Koti has also served as media and communications consultant for Zimbabwe Rugby Union and has also worked with Super Sport and BBC as a reporter.

Speaking by telephone from Harare yesterday Mr Koti said:

“At ZTA, I am taking the corporate affairs role which involves speaking on behalf of the organisation and implementing the communication strategy that was adopted in their last strategic meeting.”

Mr Koti said his thrust will be to promote digital media to complement traditional media.

“We still use traditional media platforms such as radio and television to the best of our ability as ZTA to send the message about destination Zimbabwe.”

He said ZTA whose mandate is to market Zimbabwe, will work with other stakeholders in the tourism sector to ensure Zimbabwe becomes destination of choice.

Mr Koti who has vast experience in digital media, has joined ZTA at a time when the authority and the Government have embarked on a National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) aimed at repositioning the country as an attractive investment hub.

The first consultative workshop on the NTSS is being held in Harare today to get stakeholders’ input from the tourism sector in a bid to map out a strategy for marketing the Zimbabwe brand through tourism.

The NTSS is expected to be launched by the end of March 2018.

The strategy is meant to foster a shared vision on the development and promotion of tourism in Zimbabwe and digital media is pivotal.

@okazunga