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this holiday season of Easter and Independence anniversary celebrations in an exceedingly buoyant mood and for a good reason, too.
In this pen’s mind, nothing could be more refreshing for a country so viciously pariah-ed than the news this week to the effect that ugly barriers long planted by Zimbabwe’s congenital detractors in the West along with their local quislings are set to fall away, heralding unimpeded floods of international visitors to Zimbabwe as a tourist and adventure destination of first preference in this part of the world.
This follows a successful campaign mounted by a powerful delegation of tour operators led by Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Engineer Walter Mzembi, at the International Tourismus Borse (ITB) in Mess-Berlin, Germany, recently.
ITB is an important meeting point of experts on tourism as well as on tourism service industries from all over the world.
According to a report published in this newspaper four days ago, travel agents in Germany and elsewhere in Europe will from January next year again start promoting Zimbabwe as one of the leading tour and adventure destinations in the world, putting to shame those countries that loosed a spirited demonisation of our country, using their media, in anger at the land reform programme, a consequence of the revolution that brought about independence and freedom to the black majority whose land had been under the control of a white settler regime.
But, the breakthrough at the ITB will have been in vain should Zimbabwe fail to leave up to the expectations of those who will spare no effort abroad in appetising potential visitors here with both the country’s natural endowments in the form of the Victoria Falls and national parks teeming with game still naturally wild, unlike the game in some countries that has become so-over commercialised as to pause for cameras as if in a zoo.
That the big boys in tourism overseas have agreed to re-visit this country suggests that Zimbabwe’s popularity as a holiday haven puts pressure on stakeholders in the industry to ensure that not only adequate accommodation is provided, but also that visitors from wealthier nations should not be expected to bring their money here only to be made to stay in unsuitable structures.
Not only that, but Zimbabweans will have to gear themselves up for an influx of visitors by sprucing up their trade-mark hospitality, now beleaguered here and there by the effects of the illegal foreign sanctions that have taken away some of the shine from Zimbabwean faces.
Tourism has long been known to be an economic lynch-pin for many nations, and Zimbabwe can respectfully be placed in that basket as the damage inflicted on the industry by pre-mediated negative publicity should be regarded as a tell-tale of that situation.
Yes, a menacing dark political cloud hangs over the still-maturing political system as manifested by intra-MDC-T violence, particularly during their on-going provincial party elections.
Apart from bringing much-needed revenue to a country, tourists also play a significant role as ambassadors-at-large for a country that hosts them by promoting its image back in their native countries.
That is why the warmth and hospitality with which visitors are received have a profound influence in the way the tourists portray a country upon their return home.
If the dark cloud of political violence mentioned above does not dissipate soon enough through deliberate efforts by the party concerned to raise political culture among its members, visitors to Zimbabwe will take back home negative impressions that could seriously damage this country’s image abroad.
But, of course, there is always also wont to be “a silver lining” to any cloud, in this case a truth that will belie lies peddled by MDC-T leaders that not they, but Zanu-PF, was responsible for political violence in the country.
Be that as it may, any such silver lining does not necessarily compensate for lack of peace and stability that will always augur well for a positive image a country ought to project outside its borders.
Picture a streetlight at night during a rainy season and watch moths swarming around it, attracted by the light.
Now, relate the rainy “season” to a tourism season, the “moths” to large numbers of visitors to a country with a bright name, and the importance of maintaining a reputable image becomes clear enough.
Tourism is an industry in which cut-throat competition is germane with more innovative and creative players, the more likely to out-do their sluggish opponents.
For example, tourists from Japan, Europe or the United States certainly do not wish to spend their hard-earned cash, travelling all the way to Zimbabwe, or to any other distant country, only to be treated to products that are stereotypes of the ones found in their own countries.
Variety is the spice of life and this suggests, in the case of Zimbabwe, that attractive new products should be introduced to add lustre to the World Heritage sites whose fame might somewhat be waning owing to over-patronage.
Why, for instance, do not players in the industry promote cultural tourism to take visitors away form the metropolitan environment that is similar to their native environment and away to the countryside for a feel of what is truly African, in terms of traditional festivals or African handicrafts to take back home as more unique souvenirs than T-shirts merely emblazoned with the name “Zimbabwe” or with images of either Great Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls.
And, why not introduce water sports, say, rafting or canoeing down the mighty Zambezi from the Victoria Falls to Lake Kariba with a variety of competitions organised on that massive water body?
Other sporting activities for visitors to Harare could be organised on Lake Chivero with similar treats on Lake Mutirikwi in Masvingo for visitors to Great Zimbabwe as well as providing other pastimes for visitors to the Matopos in addition to game viewing.
But, charity begins at home, so it is incumbent upon actors in the tourism industry to promote holiday-making for Zimbabweans so that they become familiar with what their country can offer as another way for them to promote the industry to foreigners with whom they come into contact.
It is needless to say many Zimbabweans, including those holding down plum jobs in both the public and private sectors will recite in their sleep names of important tourist sports in Zimbabwe but which they have never visited in their lives.
So, how can such people become tourism ambassadors while at home or when on visits abroad?
In retrospect, Zimbabweans in every structure of our society have a responsibility to play a part in, however small it might appear, as their cumulative efforts will help restore the country to its erstwhile position in the region as a tourist draw card.