Story by Memory Chamisa
THE 2023 edition of World Travel Market (WTM)London ended this Saturday with destination Zimbabwe under the spotlight.
WTM London represents global travel consumers of over 5,000 destinations and the brand Zimbabwe is proving to be a force to reckon with.
WTM London Trade Fair is an international platform that aims to share innovations and create infinite business opportunities with tourism industry leaders concurring on green tourism, preservation, and aggressive marketing of products.
“We are happy with the outcome of the exhibition on brand Zimbabwe and will definitely see through all the contacts that we made especially on Tourism Gastronomy and travel,” said an exhibitor.
Another said, “This was an eye-opening opportunity that had us marketing our products and expertise and we are excited to have also tasted some of Zimbabwe’s cuisine which has seen the country leading in Gastronomy Tourism.”
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Colonel Christian Katsande spoke on how Gastronomy Tourism is going to market the country as a destination of choice.
“With WTM London, you can showcase your brand to tens of thousands of potential clients, positioning your business as a leader in the travel industry. Apart from that, you can also find potential buyers at WTM London, which is an ideal platform for Zimbabwe to meet new customers. It’s here where you can announce a game-changing product or service in the travel industry and this year we managed to get people to notice us as a destination of choice by marketing the various tourism destinations Zimbabwe has to offer and Gastronomy Tourism which has seen people taking an interest in our food,” said Colonel Katsande.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Honourable Barbara Rwodzi made a clarion call on diasporans to invest back home in various sectors including the tourism industry.
“People are looking to have authentic experiences. They want to be in touch with nature, taste the local cuisine, and meet local communities. They’re also looking for open-air experiences in the wild, long walks, the mountains, I call on you all to come and invest in the various streams in tourism,” said Honourable Rwodzi.
The global travel and tourism sector is expected to fully recover over the next couple of years with Zimbabwe already positioning itself as a tourist destination of choice as witnessed by the recent #Uripi, #Ungaphi campaign promoting local travel this festive holiday.
