The Zimbabwean tourist authority is looking to improve the country’s image. So who does it turn to? PRs? Lobbyists? No, travel writers. You know the kind of thing — “X travelled to the Gulag Archipelago as a guest of StalinTours.”
Journalists to help market Zim tourism
Fifteen European journalists, who are in the country on a weeklong familiarisation tour, are expected to help Zimbabwe tap into the lucrative European markets.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s marketing and communications director, Mr Givemore Chidzidzi, said recently the hosting of the journalists from one of Zimbabwe’s leading tourist markets was part of the authority’s perception management initiative.
“We expect to get more from the visit of the journalists who are drawn from Germany, Italy and Austria,” said Mr Chidzidzi.
Zimbabwe has also hosted scribes and opinion leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Malaysia, China and Singapore.
Bianchin Marco, an Italian freelance journalist who is part of the 15-member group, says he intends to publish various articles on Zimbabwe in different magazines in his country.
The group is touring the country’s traditional destinations, including the Victoria Falls, Hwange, Matopos and Lake Chivero.
A number of tourists from Europe — notably France and Germany — have shown great interest in Zimbabwe with most regarding the country as a beautiful and peaceful nation contrary to some Western reports.
Last year Zimbabwe recorded a 100 percent increase in European arrivals, with France being a major contributor.
Germany alone saw a 70 percent surge while American arrivals rose by 26 percent.
Since 2000, Zimbabwe has suffered a decline in tourist arrivals as a result of a hostile stance adopted by the Western media following the land reform programme.
At its peak in 1998, the tourism sector, which has a quick turnaround potential, accounted for eight percent of the country’s gross domestic product and about 11 percent of the foreign currency earnings.
In the meantime, here’s the latest from Peta Thornycroft.
Zimbabwe officially devalued its near-worthless currency again, moving to a rate of 30,000 Zimbabwe dollars to one American dollar, from the old rate of 250 per American dollar.
Technically, the devaluation erases a system of multiple exchange rates set for exporters, government officials and sellers of foreign currency that had been devised to shore up the government’s dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
She didn’t travel to Zimbabwe as a guest…
2 responses to “Zimbabwean travel journalism”
I went to Zimbabwe with the group from China last October. I was certainly not under any obligation to write anything pleasing to the country’s government.
The tour organised was certainly an attempt at a Stalin tour and may have worked on some reporters who were unaware of Zimbabwe’s problems. I was astonished that certain reporters from Hong Kong on the tour were entirely unaware of eg Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation.
I found that — contrary to the government’s explanations — the problems were not just ones of perception created by the Western media, meaning that the government shot itself in the foot.
The one flight a week from China on a knackered Boeing not designed for long haul flight is not likely to pose much of a threat to South Africa’s tourism industry.
I’m sure you’re right. I think I’d just read a particularly bad piece of puffery when that hit my inbox.