Zim targets more Middle East tourism traffic
ZIMBABWE continues to intensify its destination visibility campaign targeting the Middle East source markets while riding on the momentum created by the inroads achieved by the country during its participation at the recent Expo Dubai 2020.
The six-month long global expo, which began last October and ended in March 2022, saw Zimbabwe attracting huge business interest mainly in the tourism, health, trade, agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors.
This week the country takes its tourism campaign back to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) is exhibiting at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which began yesterday and ends on Thursday.
The ATM is a travel and tourism event aimed at unlocking business potential within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.
It hosts 150 of the industry’s top buyers through the hosted delegate programme, an effective way for buyers looking to expand their business in the Middle East through increased access to the right exhibitors.
Zimbabwe will get an opportunity to show the region that it is a destination of choice from regional competitors such as South Africa, Nigeria, Seychelles, Mauritius and others who are also regular exhibitors.
Zimbabwe currently enjoys direct flights from the Middle East region from Emirates Airline, Rwandair and Qatar Airways, ZTA head corporate affairs, Mr Godfrey Koti, said yesterday.
He said they were using the Arabian exhibition as an opportunity to create more awareness on ‘Destination Zimbabwe’.
“We intend to maximise our visibility efforts in this market for the destination through showcasing the country’s tourism and cultural products as well as promoting it as a safe tourism investment destination,” said Mr Koti.
Zimbabwe has been experiencing a steady increase of tourist arrivals from the Middle East source markets since 2004.
“We are treating this market as a greenfield and hence our efforts will be largely based on creating awareness and visibility,” he said.
“We have in the past recorded relatively steady tourist inflows of 3 988 in 2004 and at peak of 10 077 arrivals in 2009 while the figure dropped significantly due to travel restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Mr Koti said the growth in pre-pandemic numbers was attributed to promotional campaigns that had been put into effect mostly through participation at various exhibitions including the ATM as well as hosting of media and tour agencies on familiarisation tours.
He said participation at travel fairs like Arabian Travel Market, market specific road shows and digital marketing were major promotional tools.
During the showcase, tourism destinations from the Middle East and around the world showcase a diverse range of accommodation options, breath-taking tourism attractions and new airline routes.
International buyers from the rest of Middle East, part of Asia, the Pacific, Europe and
Africa attend this annual tourism showcase.-The Chronicle
