BUSINESS REPORTER
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has signed an agreement with aviation giant Emirates to further boost inbound tourist arrivals and develop traffic into Zimbabwe utilizing the strength of the airline’s global network.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Badr Abbas, Emirates’ senior vice president commercial operations for Africa, and ZTA CEO, Winnie Munchanyuka.
Also present at the signing were Lovemore Mazemo, the ambassador of Zimbabwe to the UAE, Farai Chimba, the president of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe and the general manager of Victoria Falls Hotel.
Under the agreement, Emirates, along with the ZTA, will set in motion a range of joint marketing efforts that include tourism promotions, organizing familiarization trips for trade and media, among other activities.
Both parties will also explore opportunities for joint advertising campaigns in key markets.
Abbas, said: “The MoU signed today (Tuesday) reflects Emirates’ confidence in the potential and attractiveness of Zimbabwe as an emerging destination that awaits exploration. “
He added: “ We aim to play a considerable role in raising the profile of Zimbabwe through our strong global network.”
Muchanyuka, weighed in saying: “Zimbabwe is confident that once we implement the agreement, it will create a platform for a progressive increase of arrivals into the country. ZTA and Emirates will broaden engagement and awareness with smart initiatives. We are excited to see Emirates’ commitment to strengthening their relations with destination Zimbabwe and are confident that this will bring forth tangible results.”
Endowed with both natural and man-made attractions such as the mighty Victoria Falls, Matopo Hills, Lake Kariba, wildlife at Hwange, Great Zimbabwe Monuments, and Gonarezhou National Parks, Zimbabwe is a sought after destination offering leisure activities for tourists.
Emirates started operations to Zimbabwe in September 2012 with five weekly flights. It has steadily grown the route in line with increasing customer demand and operates a daily service to Harare with seven flights a week. Since the start of its operations, Emirates has driven inbound traffic to Zimbabwe from the Middle East, points in Europe, Australia, and the USA. The airline’s codeshare partnerships with Airlink and South African Airways further provide more choice and connectivity to passengers and drive inbound visitors to domestic points in Zimbabwe like Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
