Calls for local tourism packages
TOURISM players are escalating calls for the reintroduction of local packages that will encourage the visiting of more than one tourist destination in the country translating to longer stays and spending.
A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such as a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country, and may also include travel between areas as part of the holiday. Package holidays are a form of product bundling.
According to tourism players Zimbabwe is losing money to neighbouring countries that include one or two local destinations in their packages discouraging visiting of other local destinations.
Speaking at the presentation of the Zimbabwe Visitor Exit Survey (VES) Report for the year 2015/2016 in Bulawayo recently Bulawayo Publicity Association director Mrs Valerie Bell said the country was losing money as evidenced by short visits to the Victoria Falls.
“We have a situation that tourists come to Zimbabwe and only visit the Victoria Falls and just spend two days and they go straight out yet we have the Hwange National Park just 200 kilometres away. If we had local packages that include a number of local destinations we would be seeing people staying longer and spending more,” said Mrs Bell.
She said this could be because of the fact that tourists come to Zimbabwe on packages made from outside Zimbabwe that just include the Victoria Falls.
“Because packages are a lot cheaper some tourists come to Zimbabwe on packages made from our neighbouring countries that include the Victoria Falls. If we have our own packages we will be encouraging them to visit other places other than the Victoria Falls,” Mrs Bell said.
Another player in tourism also expressed the need for the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry to educate the public on how to set up such businesses.
“We are appealing to the Ministry of Tourism and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to help in bringing in experts in the field so that locals can get training in the business of tourism packages. We understand that we no longer have experts in that regard so we need to be educated,” said the player.
A senior official in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mr Douglas Runyowa, said the country had lost some experts in the business of creating tourism packages.
“There were issues raised here on why Zimbabwe seems to be getting secondary tourists who do not stay long in the country because they will be coming here on packages from outside the country. This is very true because as it is , when the Kenyan Airways launched their Victoria Falls route we have been receiving enquiries from Kenya on the same packages that you are talking about,” said Mr Runyowa.
Zimbabwe Visitor Exit Survey (VES) Report for the year 2015/2016 shows that Zimbabwe is a joint destination with other surrounding countries.
“The results show that a high proportion of visitors had been to South Africa 46,6 percent in the two years preceding the survey. In addition, 22,8 percent had been to Botswana, 16,8 to Mozambique while 16,3 percent visited Zambia and 27 percent had not visited any African country in the two years preceding the survey.
“Visitors were asked about the places while in Zimbabwe and the survey shows that 29,1 percent visited Harare, 29,7 Victoria Falls and 22,6 Bulawayo. Harare and Bulawayo are the biggest cities while Victoria Falls is the country’s prime tourist resort area. Thirty percent comprised an amalgamation of other places visited,” reads part of the survey.