ZTA to launch ZIMbho #vakatsha campaign| Tourism Focus Zimbabwe
Tourism Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu says the country will be launching a domestic tourism campaign called ZIMbho #vakatsha in November.
The campaign is part of efforts to encourage Zimbabweans to travel locally as the country awaits international tourists.
According to UNWTO, it is going to take time for international tourists to start travelling again due to effects of Covid-19.
Covid-19 forced world economies to shutdown resulting in many people losing their jobs and incomes that would enable them to travel.
While, countries have started opening up as the virus seems to be easing, UNWTO is of the view that countries should put more effort on domestic tourism.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries that have been lacking when it come to domestic tourism and experts are not predicting much in terms of receipts from the sector.
However, the Minister of Tourism is optimistic that they have come up with measures that might just do the required trick.
Speaking in the National Assembly recently, Minister Ndlovu said his ministry and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) will soon launch a campaign to lure domestic tourists.
“The Ministry, through its parastatal, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority will, in the next coming month, launch the Domestic Tourism Campaign ZIMbho (#vakatsha) which seeks to revive domestic travel in and around the country.
“Other various hashtags (#knowyourZimbabwe #visitZimbabwe) are also being carried out on the Tourism lookout show hosted by the ZTA where we profile various tourism destinations around the country to stimulate local travel.
“We are also, as a Ministry, encouraging tour operators to come up with our packages that capture and suit the local market. Riding on the fact that people have been confined home for a period of about 7 months due to restricted traveling.
“We are hoping that the domestic travel will perform well as intercity travel resumes and indeed the last few weeks were impressive in terms of hotel and lodges occupancy in some areas,” he said.
Domestic tourism has failed to take-off in Zimbabwe owing to the issue of pricing by the players in the sector.
Even some international tourists have expressed concern about the pricing structure in Zimbabwe.
The issue of prices has seen some tourists preferring to stay in neighbouring countries and then fly into Zimbabwe just to enjoy the attractions and go back.
Prices have also been pointed as the other reason why tourists do not spend many nights in the country.
Meanwhile, Minister Ndlovu has revealed that they have some strategies they will use to promote domestic tourism.
“Some of the key strategies being pursued include the promotion of schools tourism where we are working also with the Ministries of Education and the industry to come up with travel packages for schools.
“Whilst the purpose of travel will be mainly educational, it helps our young population to be afforded an opportunity to explore the tourist product and thereby boosting domestic tourism,” he said.
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