ZIMBABWE Tourism Authority (ZTA) acting chief executive Givemore Chidzidzi says the country is hoping to use the on-going International Tourism and Trade Fair (FITUR) in Spain to attract more tourists.
The 2019 edition of the FITUR which kicked off on the 23rd of January and will run up to the 27th in Madrid has been judged to be biggest having realised a growth of 8.3% with 886 stand-holder exhibitors and over 10,487 companies drawn from about 165 countries and various regions.
Already the Zimbabwe stand has been overwhelmed by traffic composed of destination marketing experts and operators making inquiries.
Speaking on the sidelines of the fair, Chidzidzi said participation at FITUR is part of the reengagement exercise meant to show that Zimbabwe is open for Tourism Business.
“The Spanish market is on an upward growth trend with 2017 having recorded 12 583 tourist arrivals 41% increase from 8 950 arrivals in 2016.
“Meanwhile the first 9 months of 2017 saw the country welcoming 8 303 arrivals from there while 10 478 arrivals were recorded in 2018 during the same period under review.
“We are certain that 2019 will yield much more not only in the Spanish market but globally, given the various recent endorsements by media powerhouses such as Lonely Planet, National Geographic, The Telegraph and Frommers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira who is leading the Zimbabwean delegation said the country would like to participate at various fairs to assure tourists that it is still a safe destination.
The Zimbabwean delegation is composed of ministry officials, ZTA officials and the Women in Tourism Chapter representatives.
Meanwhile Zimbabwe and Zambia have joined hands at the FITUR in a bid to push for visibility of the two destinations in line with their vision of creating ease of access between the two countries.The collaboration is using the tagline #ZAMZIMFITUR2019 at the fair.-
