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Leonard Ncube
Victoria Falls Reporter
THE tourism industry needs to work closely with the media in its drive towards effective marketing and branding of local and African destinations, while journalists should report positively about opportunities available on the continent.
This emerged during the inaugural workshop on communication, media and tourism training in Africa conducted by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in Victoria Falls on Monday.
UNWTO and the Government, through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, are co-hosting the workshop being attended by journalists and marketing and communication officers drawn from 20 countries in Africa, including Zimbabwe.
Local tourism executives and stakeholders from across the region are also attending.
The workshop started with participants visiting communities and sampling tourism and economic activities in and outside Victoria Falls.
They visited the local informal markets and sampled local dishes at the Boma Drum and Dinner Show, one of the popular eateries in the city.
Addressing delegates, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi challenged the media to report positively on socio-economic developments in their localities.
She said the workshop aligns with the UNWTO’s 10-point agenda for Africa, which focuses on branding Africa as a destination and emphasising the significance of communication and media in shaping the African tourism narrative.
“It is only through effective communication that we can showcase the countless opportunities within our sector to attract tourists and investments,” said Minister Rwodzi.
“When journalists, writers, and photographers are well-trained about the best practices in media and communications in terms of the African tourism sector, our content will definitely improve. It will also give the world a better understanding of our African destinations and its tourism-related products.”
By choosing to host the workshop in Zimbabwe, UNWTO has affirmed its commitment to advancing the tourism industry through effective media and communication strategies.
UNWTO is rolling out media training workshops across the continent and Zimbabwe is hosting the first session.
In Zimbabwe, tourism contributes 4,25 percent of national GDP and two percent to the total employment in the country.
The country is targeting to achieve a US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025, an important milestone contributing towards President Mnangagwa’s vision of making Zimbabwe an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
Minister Rwodzi challenged journalists to be passionate about their countries and write great stories.
“Africa is only contributing five percent of the global market share of tourism performance and the question is why it is so. The answer is harnessing the media and communication tools in our continent,” she said.
“Tourism is about speaking loud about your place, writing about what people must expect, and showing photographs of the products that the tourists will experience.”
Minister Rwodzi said tourism offers a plethora of opportunities, uniquely positioned to develop, attract, and enhance economic prosperity for the African continent.
“We do have abundant opportunities in the continent such as our rich history and heritage, food and drink, dressing, our rural homes, customs, and norms. It is through the media and communications that all this can be known to the world,” she said
The workshop provides a platform for tourism and other stakeholders to interact with the media and come up with best practices in terms of marketing the travel and tourism sector.
Some of the topics to be covered during the workshop include strategies for media engagement and interaction, effective messaging techniques, crisis communication, preparedness and management, social media use for tourism promotion, and the art of storytelling that enhances the African tourism narrative.
Minister Rwodzi noted that the workshop is happening at a time when global tourism is on the rebound.
According to the UNWTO Barometer of 2022, international tourism receipts reached the US$1 trillion-mark last year, growing by 50 percent compared to 2021.
International visitor spending reached 64 percent of pre-Covid-19 levels compared to 2019.
Zimbabwe tourist arrivals rose by 174 percent last year to 1 043 781 compared to 380 820 in 2021. In the first nine months of this year, the tourism sector registered a 52 percent rise in tourist arrivals to 1 087 445, compared with the same period last year, where the international arrivals received were 714 621.
UNWTO director for the regional department for Africa Ms Elcia Grandcourt said the workshop marks another milestone in Zimbabwe’s journey as a coveted destination for international gatherings.
“The commitment of Zimbabwe to the tourism industry has been unwavering and it is indeed a testament to the nation’s rich cultural heritage and its commitment to advancing tourism. As tourism stakeholders, we recognize the pivotal role that effective communication plays in our success,” she said.
“It is time for a change and shift the narrative around the continent and support African destinations to shape their own stories. Promoting positive stories will help build consumer and market confidence and thereby accelerate recovery.”
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