Zimbabwe to benefit from SITE summit
ZIMBABWE’S tourism industry stands to reap huge benefits from hosting the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Executive Summit that started in Victoria Falls yesterday.
A total of 22 C-Suite executives from leading businesses in the field of incentive travel from major source markets are attending the three-day conference that is being hosted by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
Ms Winnie Muchanyuka
They are joined by local executives and tourism operators.
Zimbabwe placed the bid to host the summit before Covid-19. ZTA chief executive officer, Ms Winnie Muchanyuka said merely hosting the event has united tourism and hospitality sector players to put together a basket of services for the high-ranking visitors.
She said the travel consultants will become ambassadors of Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality industry.
“To attract this very high-spending sector of tourism across the world is a huge development.
Mr Kevin Edmunds
There are 22 C-Suite level participants from different world markets like the USA, UK, Canada, France, Brazil, Turkey and they represent a cross-section of the market,” said Ms Muchanyuka.
She said the marketing drive to place the country’s tourism on the world map again post-Covid-19 is bearing fruit judging by the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) coming to Zimbabwe.
The event is expected to end on Saturday but some of the executives will be in the country for 10 days to sample some of the country’s tourism attractions and activities.
Already they have visited the Hwange National Park to see wild animals and on Tuesday the delegation encountered a record pride of 29 lions, which is rarely seen on a single day. Ms Muchanyuka said the industry worked together to put together the activities for the clients.
“What is significant is that they could have just come and locked themselves in a boardroom and left without seeing what Zimbabwe has to offer but they chose to sample our activities and services. As an industry, we have got a good show and they will be our ambassadors,” she said.
SITE president, Mr Kevin Edmunds said the executives were in Zimbabwe so that the country can showcase its tourism products.
He said it was the first time he and most of the executives were visiting Zimbabwe making the event important.
Mr Edmunds said every year SITE concentrates on a particular destination and Zimbabwe is one such.
“Zimbabwe is a good example of a destination that is coming up, especially after the pandemic. We want to be able to share light on the aspect of Zimbabwe and by bringing them to one location we want to make sure we are able to showcase these trends here in Zimbabwe and for the members to live the experience,” he said.
Hwange National Park
Mr Edmunds said SITE recommends destinations and being in Zimbabwe opens up the destination to the world.
He said Zimbabwe and Africa are top destinations.
“When we go to a destination, we leave a lasting relationship. Africa is a massively important tourism area in the world,” said Mr Edmunds.
SITE is a professional and prestigious association of incentive travel consultants dedicated exclusively to the global incentive travel industry.
Its executive leadership team are C-Suite executives from leading businesses in the field of incentive travel. They are thought leaders and key decision-makers pioneering the growth of the US$$75 billion incentive travel industry. —-chronicle
