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- Travel and Tourism is the nee frontier that plays a critical role in the World’s economy today.
- It is the peace bridge that keeps people connected-Thus, tourism facilitate peace rather than a security threat.
- The 1.2 billion international travelers realized in 2015, are all peace ambassadors from various wonderful tourism brands around the world.
- None of them arrived brandishing a gun, but were decorated with disarming smiles and expectations of excellent hospitality.
- Thus, tourism is a vehicle for trust and goodwill, strengthening cultural understanding which can change attitudes of different groups, and build peace.
- In Zimbabwe-Tourism is recognised in successive economic blue prints as an economic pillar and it is under the Value Addition and Beneficiation Cluster of ZIMASSET
- President signed the UNWTO’s Golden Book on Tourism in 2013-which is the highest commitment to the sector by any Government. As the Chair of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa, I implore other Governments to consider signing the Golden Book.
Six Major challenges to Africa’s Tourism-Zimbabwe no exception
Underdeveloped Tourism Infrastructure,
Poor Intra-African Air Connectivity,
Absence of Strategically-Integrated Product Development and Marketing.
Visa restrictions Poor treasury support to tourism Brand Africa-Poor image that affects African destination brands (poverty, strife, war, hunger, starvation diseases etc).
Value Proposition
Prescribing minimalistic budgetary support for tourism in Africa between 1-5% to grow the sector to double digit by 2025.- Implementation of “open skies” and “open borders” policies and the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration to facilitate movement (Isiah 60 vs 11).
- Sustainable biodiversity, cultural and heritage management.
- Brand Africa (Media coverage of African issues can make or break the brand-African Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
- Tourism policy accommodation and institutionalization at the AU
- Going forward, Africa must take advantage of its current leadership deployments in the UNWTO to advance its case for an African candidature for the position of the UNWTO Secretary General of organization which falls vacant in 2017.
- The AU should prepare for the UNGA 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
- Strategies for Growing Africa’s Tourism: Domestic and International Markets Growth based on the 5 Billion Strategic Document
Improving on Ease of doing business in the tourism sector - Diaspora engagement-Visit Home campaign
- Aggressive international marketing and events to increase attractiveness
- Attracting young people, promotion of Educational and Schools Tourism
- Brand promotion-demystifying contradictions and distorted image
- Supporting and promoting Religious Tourism
- Civil Servants Holiday Promotion Scheme-Let us motivate our Civil Servants by putting incentives for their holiday
- Aggressive international marketing
Attracting Young People-Key success factor
- Attract low cost (budget) airlines
- Develop social facilities such as night clubs, cafes and restaurants
- Put up facilities with free internet
- Development Adventure tourism products
- Highly visible on Social Media platforms
Exploit the BRICS opportunity, but there are areas we need to address in order to fully address the BRICS opportunity
- Air Connectivity
- Aggressive Marketing
- Establishment of physical presence and increased e-marketing
- Visa flexibility
- Product diversification
UNWTO CAF Sponsored Global Tourism Agenda
- CAF Chair has advance the tourism agenda with the AU for mainstreaming-Proposed a full Commission focusing on Tourism and Biodiversity.
- Agenda on conservation “Tourism and Biodiversity: Zero Tolerance to Poaching in Africa by 2020”.
80% of products we market are nature based and central to this is wildlife. - Led to the commissioning of a study by UNWTO on “Towards Measuring the Economic Value of Wildlife Watching Tourism in Africa”
- The UN GA, on 4 December 2015, adopted 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development-We must prepare for it.
- It is on the back of the tourism sector’s contribution that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 12 and 14 have been included as targets for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
