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Mr Sugar Chagonda

Charity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) hosts United Kingdom-based meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) expert Martin Lewis during a four- day educational tour aimed at tapping into the British market and promoting Zimbabwe as a leading global tourism destination.

ZTA spokesperson Sugar Chagonda on Wednesday expressed optimism the tour scheduled to run from August 16 to 20 would propel the country’s tourism brand to greater heights.

Relations between Zimbabwe and the UK turned sour at the turn of the millennium after the country embarked on the historic land reform programme and since then tourist arrivals from that country have dwindled.

“The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) will host a renowned meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) expert from United Kingdom on a MICE educational tour from August 16 to 20, 2014,” said Chagonda.

“The MICE expert who is also the managing editor of Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine  and managing director of CAT Publications, Martin Lewis is expected to arrive in the country on August 16.”

Chagonda said while in the country Lewis would conduct site inspections of the country’s conference facilities and incentive properties in an effort to ascertain Zimbabwe’s potential to host large conferences and incentive groups from the UK  market.

CAT publications magazines are widely  distributed in Europe and at top global business travel shows.

National Convention Bureau (NCB)’s executive director, Tesa Chikaponya said Lewis’ tour would seek solutions to resuscitate old relations with the UK.

“Martin Lewis’ tour is part of the authority’s business development and re-engagement strategies with the UK market, which has been shunning Zimbabwe over the past few years,” she said.

“In addition, the tour will help showcase Zimbabwe’s huge potential to provide  magical experiences for conferencing and incentive groups to one of the UK opinion   leaders.”

The formation of the Zimbabwe National Convention Bureau in February 2013 was a major step taken by ZTA  in its efforts to develop and grow MICE tourism business in Zimbabwe.

MICE business has huge potential to sustain the country’s  economy through revenue generation, employment creation while increasing destination awareness.

Zimbabwe is targeting to increase the contribution of the tourism sector to the economy to $5 billion by 2020 from  $1 billion currently.