The Sunday News
Wilson Dakwa, Business Reporter
AFRICAN tourism is performing very well globally and there is a need to invest in its products, uniquely brand them and most importantly vigorously market it as this will boost economic revival of respective countries through tourism, a branding expert said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Sanganai/Hlanganani market workshop on Thursday, founder and chairman of Brand Leadership Group Mr Thebe Ikalafeng expressed gratitude and said arrivals into Africa were encouraging.
“Travel into Africa has grown to 14 percent although intra-travel is only 12 percent. Tourism largely contributes towards job creation, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and this shows the value of tourism. In some countries, 50 percent of their GDP is from tourism. In South Africa, about 10 percent of the GDP is from tourism. This shows that tourism increases the value of a country,” he said.
According to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) 2017 first quarter report, a total of 479 718 tourists arrived in the country in the first quarter of 2017, a six percent increase compared to the same period last year but falling far short of the visitor arrivals of neighbouring South Africa.
Most of the tourists were from Africa with 400 290 visitors, representing 84 percent of the total arrivals for the quarter. Mr Ikalafeng is a global African branding and reputation architect, advisor and author.
During his corporate career that started at Colgate Palmolive in New York and culminated at NIKE as group marketing director for Africa, he led NIKE to become the number one brand across Africa, grew the business over 450 percent and earned over 75 local and global awards, including 10 Cannes Lions and IMM.
He added that the perceptions which people have about a certain country affect the performance of products from that country. He also urged Africans to effectively brand their products so as to supply foreign markets.
“If the perception of a country is negative, the marketing and selling of products from that nation will be difficult as people will not have interest in anything to do with the products from that nation. Positively branding a country provides a platform for us to brand our products.
“Most of the times when Africans are branding their products, they want to put or include the map of Africa or that of their country. We need to rid of this tendency and start branding beyond where we are for us to reach other markets.
“Branding acts as a catalyst for investment, tourism and citizenship because for nations to promote economic value, they need to attract more investors, more tourists’ arrivals and increase locals’ love for their nations,” said Mr Ikalafeng.
Managing director of Tour Brokers International Ms Uloma Egbuna said Zimbabwe needs to look at business opportunities to attract investment.
“Zimbabwe needs to be marketed from an investment opportunity angle, not just from the point of view of safaris, Victoria Falls and adventure tourism. Most of the time, corporate organisations in Nigeria have board meetings outside of Nigeria, averagely two or three times annually. The more Nigerian businesspeople who invest in Zimbabwe, the more Nigerian tourists will come to Zimbabwe,” she said.
Ms Egbuna also said having restaurants which offer Nigerian cuisine will help attract Nigerian tourists.
“Nigerians value their food. South Africa and Dubai have so many Nigerian restaurants and if Zimbabwe is to have restaurants which offer Nigerian cuisine, then Nigerians will surely visit Zimbabwe knowing that they will have access to their cuisine. The restaurants don’t have to be big and fancy, it can be like what we call Buka in Nigeria which doesn’t take about 15-20 people at the same time,” said Ms Egbuna.
She added that having direct flights from Nigeria to Zimbabwe can also ease travelling logistics. She also called upon the Government of Zimbabwe to consider revising its visa application processes.
