The Sunday News
Nkosilathi Sibanda, Business Correspondent
POST-CORONAVIRUS (Covid-19) survival strategies are top on the agenda of tourism businesses’ daily schedules as the industry shifts its product portfolio to suit the local market.
The Covid-19 pandemic has left the industry battered, as leading businesses foresee low business from international travel.
With Zimbabwe heavily reliant on the foreign tourists, this time the industry has no option but to please local holidaymakers.
For long, not as many companies invested in luring domestic clients, as the culture of travel and tour had since been on downward trend, among locals.
Somehow, players in the business are optimistic of a growth opportunity emanating from the portfolios that focus on the domestic market.
There is an overwhelming consensus to remodel packages that are lowly priced to entice domestic tourists.
Silwane Tours and Silwane Nature Reserve director Mr Sikhawuliso Sibanda said they were in touch with stakeholders as they map ways to shift marketing strategies towards local clients.
“We realise that the Covid-19 is upon us and we believe that it won’t be business as usual post this pandemic. The business model to undertake is in the domestic market. It is obvious that domestic tourism is the way to go. That calls for new affordable products to be in place.”
Mr Sibanda said while the industry is confined to the lockdown, they are busy, at their home offices, mooting plans and extending product brochures that will help the industry leap through the Covid-19 slump.
“As tourism players we are already working on mechanisms that shall see the sector bouncing back and building confidence among the local clients who are eager to enjoy our hospitable world. There is no doubt that many foreign tourists are not going to start making the moves to visit us as soon as the skies are open. It is our belief as an industry that many of our source and potential market countries are not going to quickly open their borders in fear of a recur,” said Mr Sibanda, who is also a senior regional representative of the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe (TBCZ).
Mr Sibanda said from peer engagements so far, it is agreeable that more needs to be done to build strong business relations within local tourism.
“The process is going to be slow as many people shall first serve their priorities of safeguarding their future before embarking on leisure activities.”
He said once the Covid-19 pandemic subsidises, the industry remains bound by advice and support from the Government.
“Post Covid-19 tourism shall never be the same for a foreseeable time. Tourism shall depend on the responses from our Government and other nations around the world,” said Mr Sibanda.
A wider call for product diversification was echoed by TBCZ president Ms Winnie Muchanyuka last week, during an industry virtual conference chat when she said the pandemic presented a “downtime” that ought to be utilised as an opportunity.
“Businesses at this time need to look at how they are going to market their product and services. It’s crucial as business to take this downtime to reflect and check our system and see how we have been conducting business pre-Covid-19 and use this opportunity to think outside the hustle and bustle of normal operations. We are going to have to cut back, post-Covid-19 to be able to recover, it’s inevitable,” she said.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority spokesman Mr Godfrey Koti told Sunday News Business that the post Covid-19 local market deliberations are set to continue as players and stakeholders want to be fully prepared for a spring leap.
“We encourage all businesses in the tourism industry to take part in our stakeholders’ engagements through our various platforms on social media. Of course, there’s a lockdown but that doesn’t mean we must not plan the future. It is encouraging, there are businesses that are already planning ahead, we support that,” said Mr Koti.
