The Sunday Mail
Online Correspondent
In its drive to promote Zimbabwe as a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is participating at the Incentive Business Travel and Meetings World Exhibition, which ends Thursday in Barcelona, Spain.
Zimbabwe has identified strategic business tourism shows which provide platforms for engagements. This year’s IBTM World is targeted to deploy the country as a first choice MICE destination. IBTM World is the leading global event for the meetings, incentives and business travel industry.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority acting chief executive, Mr Givemore Chidzidzi, said IBTM is an event that brings MICE industry professionals to focus on business opportunities, thought-provoking professional MICE capacity building sessions and networking that enhance convention bureaus’ business development strategies.
“Our main objective for participation is to generate new global MICE sales leads. We’re also using this year’s exhibition to re-engage and reconnect with the global MICE players. We’re looking at positioning destination Zimbabwe in order to establish and develop quality MICE business for destination Zimbabwe,” he said.
He went on to say that Europe is one of the prime source markets for MICE and Zimbabwe’s re-engagements will usher in confidence to the market and help thwart all negative perceptions about the destination.
“Zimbabwe is committed to position itself to the world as the most preferred MICE destination in Southern Africa. The expo draws its participants from destination management companies, convention bureaus, meeting planners, professional conference organisers and incentive travel houses who are all crucial in the success and growth of MICE business in a destination,” he added.
“In the next three days, Zimbabwe will generate global sales leads, develop quality relationships through face-to-face interactions and gain invaluable exposure to the meetings and events industry thereby putting our brand miles ahead of the competition,” said Chidzidzi.
Africa is fast establishing itself as the upcoming MICE destination and this is evidenced by the formation of National Convention Bureaus across Africa and their presence at international MICE shows. This is to position their respective countries as suitable for hosting business tourism.
Meanwhile, the 2019 Hospitality Congress kicked off this morning in Mutare. The Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe congress is running under the theme “Hospitality Stepping into the 4th Industrial Revolution”.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality, Mr Munesu Munodawafa, will deliver the keynote address.
