Maravi

(HERALD) UNWTO speaks against sanctions

UNWTO speaks against sanctions
Thursday, 31 May 2012 00:00
Sydney Kawadza recently in VICTORIA FALLS

THE 20th Session of the United Nations World Tourism Authority set for Victoria Falls in August next year will provide the final ammunition in the war against negative propaganda against Zimbabwe.

Speaking during the signing of the Trilateral Host Country and Golden Book on Tourism on Tuesday, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said there was need for aggressive marketing of the event to the intended delegates.

“The success of any conference, mega-event, and or exhibition, is a function of delegate turnout and participation. An absolute turnout will be a global endorsement of our destination with far wider implications on our geo-politics, international relations and diplomacy, notwithstanding the economic benefits.

“Equally a 75 percent turnout will be very good, 50 percent fair and 30 percent an indictment! So both governments should invest in a major outreach, promotion and marketing of the event, and continuously benchmark against previous hosts.”

He said Zimbabwe had over the years suffered negative Western publicity.
“In the last decade Zimbabwe has achieved tremendous results, in empowering its broad masses in various cardinal areas starting with our historic land reform, going forward now to the economic pillars of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and indeed tourism, great victories indeed, but in the process we lost the propaganda war to our detractors, with the mainstream global media that included CNN, BBC, Sky, leading the onslaught.

“In the last decade or so, Zimbabwe was slapped with sanctions and even tourism, the peace sector, was not spared, culminating in very negative travel advisories being applied, resulting then in a sharp decline in tourism arrivals and revenue, with our lowest record being 2008.”

Minister Mzembi said the inclusive Government made it imperative to negotiate for sanctions’ removal that was achieved within six months.

“This task was successfully achieved within a record six months on the back of goodwill and support from Africa, particularly the UNWTO’s Commission for Africa, that supported Zimbabwe’s candidature onto the UNWTO Executive Council in October 2009.

“I have since leveraged with this seat to re-engage, and successfully so with the international source market, at times swimming in the deep end in circumstances some colleagues here may not have quickly understood, but which efforts have resulted even in the USA only last week through its ambassador having their Damascus moment on Zimbabwe, declaring it peaceful and the most beautiful country on earth, and within that statement castigating CNN, among other media, for misleading the world about Zimbabwe!”

He said there was also need to “uniquely package” the meeting and enhance the brand equity of Zimbabwe and Zambia, the region and Africa.

“If this event is not going to achieve this at all, then we may as well tear the agreement!”

Minister Mzembi described tourism as a people-to-people diplomacy, bridge linking and a precursor of foreign affairs.

Labels: SANCTIONS, TOURISM, VICTORIA FALLS, WALTER MZEMBI

posted by MrK @ 2:40 PM