admin
Morris Mpala, MoB Capital Ltd
OF late tourist arrivals, local and otherwise, have increased and it is a breath of fresh air as there is an income and maximum use of resources deployed.
What I pray for is that the tourists spend money on these visits and no third party coining it at our expense outside the country. This is another major earner as a business, not to mention foreign currency. It is an interface between a lot of stakeholders, which requires a “too many prongs” approach to bring the much needed spark in the sector.
Tourism lite, let’s call it micro-tourism
Breakfast lite, lunch lite, dinner lite and activities lite to cater for the less financially gifted. The infrastructure is already there and why not put it to good use and get some income at least by using economies of scale? A watered-down package will go a long way in appetising upgrade to a full package.
Promotions
I mean serious promotions like some regional promotions we have seen, for example 60 percent off on all services from hotel, food and activities. The sector is promotions proof. As they say go big or go home. The need to go all out when there are promotions in order to encourage tourists to revitalise the sector.
Save now go later, go now pay later
Let’s encourage direct savings where customers save with hoteliers and go afterwards and agreed budgets and standards of a packaged tour. Funders can chip in with innovative products to aid this initiative. Another avenue to encourage locals to enjoy and live a full life is for consumers to go on holidays and come back and pay what they enjoyed. It involves stakeholders in the sector.
Civil servants, time shares
We need a deliberate tourism package that caters for this employment segment. This is vital in marketing tourism through awareness. Avail innovated tourism packages to ignite local tourism from Government employees. This segment cannot be ignored at all. Encourage such investments as time shares to dazzle others and stimulate the passion of being tourist investor. It increases the value of the local tourism. Invest, tour and earn a living as a part owner.
Bring in big boys, community tourism
The need to partner experienced world renowned brands is long overdue. You need the expertise as the game is global but played locally. Big boys bring serious tourism business with high acumen into the game and touch of class at world standards. As competition stiffens your partners will come in handy.
Let community tourism be encouraged more, it’s a winner, it’s a bit similar to time shares in that community owns the tourist attractions.
Investments
The challenge is for other stakeholders to come and pour right capital in the sector. It is a good investment vehicle with good returns and the sector has done enough to attract investments; all what is required is bold and unconventional funders that see opportunities now where others see eventually. Risk takers that dare to dream of giving the sector the boost it needs right now. The need to spruce up the tourist attractions from rooms, vehicles, and all there is to tourism to give it a touch of modernity. We have lagged behind. Even some of the paint jobs do not do a great job of soothing and welcoming the souls of tourists.
It’s an industry that is yearning to be jazzed up a bit. It looks a bit tired to say the least due to neglect and the elements, making some infrastructure less pleasing to senses.
Tourism is “the price, stupid”
The pricing in the sector is kind of scary after the adoption of the multicurrency system in 2009. My submission is let’s have a pricing structure that caters for locals, that is, those come from that community to derive benefit from their natural resources. Another price that caters for locals as in Zimbabweans then regional and international but within a pricing regime that isn’t extortionate at all. Value for money delights the tourists otherwise we will be complaining of low occupancy levels for a long time until some of our facilities become white elephants.
Tourists want champagne at beer prices and that is a fact and those that can pay a premium let the service or products show. Above all let’s go on holidays folks, we deserve it after long working hours and a difficult operating environment.
Word of mouth
This is the best in tourism. If tourists are treated right they will tell the whole wide world and if its otherwise they will still tell all.
IF YOU LIVE IN BULAWAYO PLEASE CONSERVE WATER. IF YOU LIVE IN ZIMBABWE PLEASE USE ELECTRICITY SPARINGLY SWITCH OFF SWITCHES (SOS). IF YOU LIVE ON PLANET EARTH PLEASE PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT
*Morris Mpala (Mr Brown) is the managing director of MoB Capital Limited, a Bulawayo-headquartered micro-finance organisation with footprint across the country.
Online Reporter