Zimbabwe to launch tourism brand at SA Indaba

The tourism expo which will see a delegation led by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) Chief Executive, Mr. Karikoga Kaseke and will also comprise of local tourism operators. The tourism expo will create a platform for Zimbabwe to launch its new brand Zimbabwe A World of Wonders.

Indaba, the annual tourism fair promotes a wide variety of Southern African tourism products and services. It provides Zimbabwe with a great opportunity to meet key tour operators from South Africa with packages to Victoria Falls and other neighboring countries promoting Africa from the international source markets.

The major objective for this years exhibition is to launch the brand, Zimbabwe A World of Wonders during Indaba following successful brand launches done in the United Kingdom, China and Germany at the this March respectively.

travel trade, the brand launch serves as a platform in telling a true story and well detailed story of Zimbabwe, Chagonda, Head of ZTA Public Relations and Corporate Communications.

About 30 companies are set to exhibit at the expo and these include Rainbow Tourism Group, Khanondo Safaris, Shearwater Adventures and Chikwenya Safari Lodge. Apart from the brand launch the travel expo allows an opportunity to increase tourist arrivals from South Africa, to identify and recruit media and buyers for Sanganai/Hlanganani 2011 and to establish strategic partnerships with the travel trade and media from different source markets.

In an interview the ZTA Head for Public Relations, Events and Protocol, Mr Sugar Chagonda said, South Africa among Zimbabwes major source markets remains the major stronghold for tourist arrivals in the country with a market share of 70 percent of arrivals from the African continent. Indaba therefore becomes an expedient forum for us to launch our Zimbabwe A world of Wonders brand.

South Africa is one of the Zimbabwe target markets, with a population of 50 million people according to the national census of year 2001 it is a major source market with great potential to grow faster than most source markets given its proximity, historical and trade links. In 2010, the country received 1 368 234 visitors from South Africa compared to 912 000 visitors in 2009, a positive growth that needs to be supported by aggressive promotional activities throughout the year thus the need for Zimbabwes continuous participation at Indaba.