Zimbabwe focuses on Middle East markets to expand tourism footprints

Friday, February 25, 2022

Zimbabwe tourism players are set for a crunch meeting with the Middle East market in Dubai from 5 to 6 March 2020 during the ongoing 2020 Dubai Expo to create synergies that will see local markets and products penetrating the Middle East.

Over 40 delegates drawn from over 25 tourism operators and enablers have confirmed their participation.

Acting Chief Executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, GivemoreChidzidzi said the meeting signals the reopening of reengagements with key source markets after the pandemic.

“The Middle East has remained a lucrative and untapped market for Zimbabwe. It is a market that has great potential and will bring high value to the different sectors of tourism,” Chidzidzi said.

The past few years have seen Zimbabwe gaining access into this market as witnessed by the introduction of flights by two of the main airlines from the Middle East namely; Emirates and Qatar.

Chidzidzi highlighted that access is key in tourism development and growth hence the two airlines have changed the aviation landscape in Zimbabwe.

“As we position destination Zimbabwe for recovery after the ravaging impact of Covid-19 to our sector, we appreciate the confidence that the two airlines have bestowed on our destination. We are optimistic that our collective approach as a sector will soon yield the much-desired results and we will be able to still attain our USD5 Billion Tourism Economy by 2025,” he stated.

The participants for the event dubbed “Visit Zimbabwe – Tourism Conference and Exhibition” are drawn from the mainstream tourism players and the aviation sector.

The President of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe, Farai Chimba who will be part of the delegation said paid homage to the government for facilitating the meeting.

The Government of Zimbabwe has facilitated Zimbabwe’s presence at the 2020 Dubai Expo for the past five months and the tourism event comes as one of the highlights to all the efforts being made to reengage and reconnect with the global community, mainly the Middle East market during the notable global event.

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