Shreya Shimpi
The roadshow held on August 22nd, 2024, at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, brought together 17 prominent Zimbabwean stakeholders from the private sector, including tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), budget and luxury lodges, and hospitality groups.
The delegation was supported by Hon. Tongai M Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority along with Ms. Sophia Hope T Chimba, Zimbabwe Tourism Attaché in India, and Zimbabwean cricket legend Hamilton Masakadza.
BOTT spoke to Hon. Tongai M Mnangagwa in an exclusive chat and here is what he shared.
“India’s response has been good. Last year we had over 17000 visitors from India. This year, the figures are going to double and it’s exciting to see such growth because of the kind of connections that the private sector is building and the various initiatives that are being undertaken. We have had a good number of Indian visitors in the first six months. For Indians, travelling to Zimbabwe has become easier since you get visa on entry. We want to grow our business in India as we know there is great potential because of the numbers. We are deliberately in Mumbai and then we will visit other cities. It is an unchartered territory for us and we wish to expand our business in India from the tourism perspective”.
Speaking about the marketing strategies and source markets he added, ”We are asking the buyers in India to visit Zimbabwe. We facilitate the familiarisation trips. We call tourism experts to come into the country and we take them around to experience our product. Our product is very unique and people are not aware about the various offerings of Zimbabwe, as our country is small. Using our funds we are willing to take the right people there.
Our top five markets are United States, England, China, Germany and France. India ranks eighth in the list of source markets. With the kind of work being done by the private sector and the support that we are receiving, India has the potential to rank first or second. Zimbabwe is open for tourism and business. We are warm and welcoming people.”
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