Spanish tourism expo inspires local industry
players

THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) says the country’s participation at the 43rd
Edition of the Feria Internacional de Turismo/ International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR),
which ended in Madrid, Spain on Sunday has opened wider business avenues for the local
tourism sector.

The ZTA led the delegation of Zimbabwean business representatives to the high-level
specialised fair, which kicked off last week on Wednesday and ran for five days. During
the expo, the country’s team exhibited its tourism products and showcased the
Zimbabwean destination to the global travel market.

In her post-expo review statement issued yesterday ZTA chief executive, Ms Winnie
Muchanyuka, who was part of the country’s delegation, said the exhibition was a success
for destination Zimbabwe.

“Firstly, we’re happy to have been part of the show’s physical re-opening since the
advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s edition was attended by the tourism
professionals and the key trade for inbound and outbound tourism from the globe and
most importantly, the Spanish-speaking market,” she said.

“We collaborated with Spanish operators on our stand in an effort to explore the market
to see if we can entice arrivals into the destination and prop up our receipts as we seek to
measure up to our targets.

“We were over-ornated on engagements with markets such as Cuba, Guatemala,
Panama, El Salvador etc. The idea is to put our best foot forward in reaching out to
various markets, particularly where we see a potential of traction and growth.”
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Ms Muchanyuka said the delegation was also out to seek for potential partners in the
digital space for digital marketing, market research data, and analysis services.
“We met with a wide range of tech companies such as Booking.Com, Expedia, Amadeus
with the view of creating relatively cheaper destination marketing and communication
options,” she said.

“We’re keen to explore data analysis as a business intelligence tool. This is to allow for
more accurate customer behavioral traits, which in turn will make our marketing efforts
more directed. In this regard, we met a few companies that offer these services,” said Ms
Muchanyuka.

The five-day global travel show attracted more than 10 487 companies from 165
countries, 142 642 trade visitors, and 110 848 members of the general public.
Sustainability, innovation, and cutting-edge trends were at the core of the proceedings.
Part of the fair’s objective was to contribute to the revitalisation and growth of tourism
business, said the agency.
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The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry together with
the ZTA were joined by tourism players from the private sector at the fair as they sought
to re-engage tourism wholesalers and business tourism players in considering Zimbabwe
as an ideal place for Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Exhibitions, as well as a
leading leisure activities destination.-The Chronicle