Beitbridge primed for tourism synergies
A TECHNICAL working committee has been set to formulate synergies that will market Beitbridge as a viable tourism and investment destination.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) said the committee, which comprises the business community and tourism players in the border town as well as local leadership, resolved to put hands on the deck to ensure the town fully exploits its resources in line with the Government’s devolution thrust.
The authority said tourism stakeholders also resolved to formulate a Beitbridge Marketing Committee to foster tourism and investment in the border town.
“Tourism industry players also agreed on urgent need to set up the Beitbridge Publicity Association and establish synergies that weave into the devolution plan,” said ZTA in a statement.
A local tour operator, Mrs Vanessa Bristol, during the recent stakeholder engagement meeting was quoted as saying:
“It’s absolutely essential that this community pulls together in a concerted effort to market Beitbridge.
“We have so many assets that have not been well advertised and it’s up to us to show the country that the southern part of Zimbabwe can compete with Victoria Falls pretty easily.”
She added that the engagement demonstrates the drive with which the town has in marketing the destination and opening up the space for locals to fully develop the town’s tourism product.
ZTA head of corporate affairs Mr Godfrey Koti expressed delight at the setting up of the building blocks, which will help elevate the border town.
“As ZTA we are delighted to be working toward a shared vision and this development will always put us a notch higher in developing the tourism product in its totality,” he said.
Meanwhile, ZTA and the local tourism players last week participated at the Tourism Expo Japan (TEJ) 2019.
The Zimbabwean delegation participated as trade visitors at the fair, which was hosted for the first time in Osaka, the second largest city of Japan. The fourday fair attracted 1 500 companies from across the globe.
ZTA acting chief executive officer, Mr Givemore Chidzidzi, said Japan remains a big source of visitors to Zimbabwe.
“For destination Zimbabwe this market has great potential and that is the major reason for our participation at the ongoing expo.
“In 2018, Zimbabwe received a total of 32 000 tourist arrivals from Japan and the figure is expected to increase come the end of 2019.
“There is serious interest to destination Zimbabwe by the Japanese, in fact it’s a market that has always been ready for us hence the onus is on us to intensify our efforts through identifying other additional activities such as roadshows, familiarisation tours among many others,” he said.