Masvingo – Zimbabwe is calling on African countries to market the continent jointly instead of competing against each other, saying regional collaboration will increase tourist length of stay and benefit all destinations.
Speaking to journalists after a CEOs roundtable meeting at the Great Zimbabwe Hotel today, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Chief Excutive Officer Dr Gorge Manyaya said countries must work together to promote Africa as a single, diverse tourism destination.
“Yes we may be competition in terms of attractions. But from the presentations that we discussed today is that we need each other. We are not competitors. We need to market Africa to the world,” he said.
He gave the example of tourists arriving in Zimbabwe and also visiting Botswana, Kenya and South Africa to increase length of stay.
On domestic growth, Manyaya credited government’s heritage-based tourism policy for improved results both locally and internationally. He noted increased buyer participation at Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo as evidence the policy is working.
“If you see here at Sanganai you’ve noted that this year we’ve actually gone over 140 buyers from the 89 last year. But this is a result of the aggressive marketing initiatives that are being held by our government obviously through our ministry,” he said.
Tapiwa Mari, representing Rainbow Tourism Group CEO Tendai Madzivanyika, said Zimbabwe’s unique selling point is its compact size and variety.
“What makes Zimbabwe an attractive destination is that we see the largest falls, wildlife in a small country that you can travel from A to B in a single day. The more the investment, the more the destination. We need to make sure that competition becomes something we want. We should love competition when we want better,” he said.
Ahmed Soro, Director of the Bureau of Tourism at the Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire in South Africa, said the roundtable was an opportunity to strengthen West and Southern Africa integration.
“From an Ivorian perspective, it is an honor to attend this CEOs Roundtable. The main objective is to strengthen the country’s integration into African dynamics. It provides a platform to promote Sublime Côte d’Ivoire in southern African markets and identify partnerships,” he said.
He added that Côte d’Ivoire wants to position itself as a gateway to West Africa and as a complementary partner for Southern Africa destinations.
Companies present included ZTA, Zimparks, Rainbow Tourism Group, African Sun, Air Zimbabwe, Hyatt, and Great Zimbabwe Hotel. Delegates also attended from Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and Côte d’Ivoire.
The roundtable discussed areas of common interest among tourism CEOs from several countries.
Source: “We are not competitors” – Zimbabwe pushes for Africa tourism unity – Masvingo Mirror
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