ZTA to charm tourists in Cape Town

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) is set to lead a high-level delegation of tourism players to this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) Africa fair to be held in Cape Town, South Africa.

The fair which begins tomorrow (Monday) and ends on Wednesday, will present Zimbabwe with an opportunity to network with international buyers as well as regional and international tourism boards. In a statement, ZTA said South Africa continues to be Zimbabwe’s largest regional source market with 219 141 tourists having visited Zimbabwe last year.

This year’s edition of the WTM Africa fair is expected to provide improved returns, as the destination continues to recover from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Commenting on this year’s fair, ZTA’s chief executive Ms Winnie Muchanyuka said: “Destination promotion is central to everything we do and every show we attend, hence we are elated to participate at WTM Africa 2023. It will also be an opportunity to reach out to various potential investors under one roof.”

She said they were on a drive to attract investors into the country in order to bring investment into the tourism industry. Ms Muchanyuka said not only did they want to entice tourism investors, but they also intend to position the destination as a business destination under the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) banner.

“We are, therefore, taking every opportunity available to fight for our space and attention. This fair attracts quality buyers and exhibitors given how geographically widespread WTM takes its fairs across the various continents. Thus, we wish to be a regular exhibitor at this and other shows of this nature,” she added.

WTM Africa is modelled on a business-to-business (B2B) format where exhibitions for both inbound and outbound African travel and tourism markets take place. The show delivers leading global events for the travel industry and it is one of the six shows in the WTM portfolio. Launched in 2014 under Africa Travel Week, the show provides the right business platform for professional tourism stakeholders promoting business with Africa. ZTA said Zimbabwe will take the opportunity to invite buyers for Sanganai 2023 at this year’s WTM Africa fair.

“It will also seek to have meaningful conversations with media interested in learning about the destination. Various tourism stakeholders have previously used the show to generate sales leads, launch new products, enter new markets, raise brand awareness, size up their competition, conduct market research, command press attention and develop and maintain relationships.”

ZTA is Zimbabwe’s tourism governing body formed as an act of Parliament and operates under the Tourism Act of Zimbabwe of 1996. As a corporate body, it is responsible for tourism promotion, planning, research and development and the enforcement of expected tourism standards.