The Sunday News
Phineas Chauke
IT is that time when darkness gives way and the sun shines again on an industry terribly ravaged by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. Tourism and hospitality business came to a stand-still in the past three months. Families were deprived of incomes as companies could not continue to pay stay-at-home employees, the entire economy took a strain and the sunshine was taken off life.
We welcome with delight the resolution by Cabinet to reopen the tourism sector for the domestic market and the tremendous efforts of the relevant authorities in putting measures in place for the smooth running of the industry.
It is, however, critical at this point to note that we are not yet out of the woods in terms of the prevalence of the pandemic. This therefore, requires the industry players to tread carefully, lest we witness an unprecedented spike in new infections. We do not want the tourism industry to be blamed for making Covid-19 unmanageable in the country.
What we are excited about is the opportunities to visit our favourite areas and also explore new ones. It is time for Zimbabweans to experience the essence of their beloved country. There is so much under the Zimbabwean sun to be experienced and enjoyed by Zimbabweans.
With the raft of measures put in place by the Government to stimulate domestic demand for tourism products, we hope to see the thorny issue of the cost associated with the consumption of tourism products by locals becoming less and less of a challenge.
It is important to mention at this point that, unless there are meaningful adjustments in that regard, the previous poor domestic tourism trend is likely to continue. Such a situation would render tourism business unsustainable given that the domestic market is the only one we have access to at the moment.
Since the above-mentioned measures are a result of extensive consultations between Government agencies and the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe (TBCZ) culminating in some tax concessions on tourism services and products rendered to domestic tourists, among other incentives, it is expected that the balance between promoting domestic tourism and profitability will be achieved.
Pricing, however, is only one element of the tourism marketing mix. The entire marketing strategies need to be adapted and customised to the domestic segment. This calls for research into the purchase behaviour and product preferences of domestic tourists.
The marketing communications need to appeal to their needs, wants and aspirations, and the value proposition has to be relevant. While the services need to be adapted, the quality needs to remain premium. Industry players need to understand that they are dealing with a market segment that has for a long time felt second-rated and is therefore going to be highly sensitive to the manner in which they are treated.
As we are super-excited about catching the fun again, it is very important for us to exercise caution and enjoy responsibly.
All the precautionary measures should be observed in order to “live and let live”. As we enjoy the tourist facilities in our country, let us think about our safety, fellow tourists as well as the workers attending to us in those facilities together with their families. Again, the reopening of the tourism sector should by no means be misconstrued to mean that the threat of Covid-19 has been subdued.
Having said all that, our game parks, museums and monuments, our villages and cities eagerly wait to welcome the native sons and daughters to experience the essence of their own motherland. Just like a baby coming to “mama” to suckle, you are going to be refreshed and re-energised after exploring your country. It is indeed an opportunity for self-discovery.
Phineas Chauke is a Tourism Consultant, Marketer and Tour-Guide. Contact him on +263776058523, [email protected]
