The Sunday News
Mandla Moyo/Thobekile Khumalo, Sunday News Reporters
THE Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe (TBCZ) has urged Zimbabweans to make use of their uniqueness in the tourism sector and market the nation in a bid to maximise revenue in the sector.
In an interview, TBCZ representative for Matabeleland Province and the marketing director of the Amalinda Collection Mrs Sharon Stead said the country should raise awareness campaigns in order to lure more tourists.
“Zimbabwe needs to embark on awareness campaigns so that people from outside feel the need to visit Zimbabwe as well as encouraging local people to visit these places of interest,” she said.
She said most people who travel outside Zimbabwe have no knowledge of the country.
“People who travel outside Zimbabwe barely know about their country hence when they are asked out there about the country they are of little help in terms of marketing. Therefore we need to promote what Zimbabwe has, so that it gains the value of the foreign currency that is deficient within the country. Zimbabwe must not compete with other countries, instead it needs to promote its own tourist destinations so that people can come.”
Mrs Stead said Zimbabweans need to be taught about their history and the incredible pieces of architecture that can lure hundreds of tourists from around the world.
“As a country we have places like Great Zimbabwe that have such amazing stories behind them that if people are taught about them they would make it a point to visit such places. Zimbabweans need to learn about those places in order to be valuable citizens to the country, contributing to its development,” she said.
She challenged the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to embark on campaigns to help in marketing the country.
“Zimbabwe has to package its tourism to make marketing easier to other countries in order to try to capture more international and domestic tourists” she said.
