eBusiness Weekly
Aurra Kawanzaruwa
The World Travel and Tourism Council forecast in their 2017 Economic Impact of Travel and Tourism in Zimbabwe report, that the direct contribution of the sector to the country’s GDP is to rise by 3,0 percent pa, from 2017-2027, to USD0,7 billion, 4,0 percent of total GDP in 2027.
One of the biggest catalysts for tourism increase is technology. Not only in the form of apps and websites but through the way citizens of a country talk about their country on social media. The world is currently being shaped by a consumer driven economic mindset and peer to peer marketing, or influencer marketing, is still considered to be the most powerful force.
Coupled with the sharing economy movement currently gaining momentum — an economic model often defined as a peer-to-peer (P2P) based activity of acquiring, providing or sharing access to goods and services that are facilitated by a community based online platform – and the rise of local tourism infomediaries, Zimbabwe has an opportunity to turn its tourism luck around.
The rising popularity of Airbnb in the country is an indicator of the magnetic pull tech is having on facilitating growth in this dwindling sector. Zimbabwe has over 300 listings on the platform for rental for both short term and long term stays. The most popular locations are Harare, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Bvumba and Masvingo.
According to global statistics gathered by Airbnb, 91 percent of travellers want to “live like a local” when visiting foreign countries. The platform allows hotels, lodges or individuals to offer a space for travellers from around the world to stay for a while, often at a reasonable cost. The average rental prices range from $15 to $65 a night, depending on location.
There have been over 3 200 reviews of homes in Zimbabwe listed on the platform with an average rating of 4,6 out of 5 stars for the homes. This is proof that there definitely is a pool of Zimbabweans in the informal sector who have an innate understanding of how to use the internet to boost their own revenues and of what good hospitality means.
Unfortunately Zimbabwe’s eReadiness at the moment leaves a lot to be desired. A redundant national ICT policy and an ICT infrastructure that is not quite at par with the rest of the world, will ultimately slow down the country’s ability to fully harness technology and Web 2.0 which fosters both User Generated Content (UGC) and social media.
Zimbabwe has however seen a slow but steady rise in tourism in spite of its numerous economic and political upsets. Official statistics on how the country performed in December will only be available possibly in the 2nd week of January. However, statistics released earlier in 2017 reported that 2016 saw an increase in tourists received from 2,1 million from 2,06 million the year before and earned the country $890 million.
The image of the country also drastically improved in November 2017 when Zimbabwean citizens took it upon themselves to demonstrate a peaceful and positive unified movement, which was broadcast all over the world through social media updates and media houses alike. #Zimbabwe became the top trending hashtag globally during the same month.
The potential for growth in our tourism sector is there, without a doubt. The biggest driver however, 2nd to economy, will be the people. One of the most important rules of leadership is that people, not policies or programs, are what drive highly effective solutions. A great nation must view its members as equally important parts of a whole.
Reformation policies should not just look at the citizens as beneficiaries, but also catalysts and drivers for change and success. Technology and the different digi-cultures that are born of it is constantly changing and not one person, company or government department can keep up with everything all the time. You need the people to help you. You need their buy in.
What most travellers have in common the world over is the desire to experience new cultures and learn from the locals. Hence why a platform like Airbnb would be attractive to someone as it offers an opportunity to live with a family and experience day to day life as well as all the tourist attractions.
Perhaps we need to re-strategise the way we package our country for tourism. We would do well to integrate new technologies like AR into how we preserve intangible cultural heritage. We need to create focus groups with people that fit the demographic profiles of the tourists that take an interest in our country and develop fresh ways of marketing ourselves. The hospitality industry needs an overhaul, especially when it comes to customer service. Most employees in the service industry, a survey revealed, are not happy in their jobs and do not see the importance of consistent good customer service.
This attitude is worrying and needs to be addressed if we are to build a good reputation on the tourist scale. In conclusion, a combination of technology, citizen capital, sector reform and the gorgeous attractions found in the country can see a positive turnaround in the business of tourism in Zimbabwe.
