Zimbabwe clinches deals with six Chinese firms

Zimbabwe has clinched tourism marketing and development deals with six major Chinese tourist wholesalers during the on-going China International Travel Mart in Shanghai, local newspapers reported on Saturday.

The deals, which are in conformity with the national economic turnaround program and the Look East Policy, should bolster Zimbabwe's penetration of Asia and increase Chinese tourist arrivals from the current 30,000 to at least 100,000 by 2008, The Herald said.

Zimbabwe has clinched deals with The Great Wall Society, China International Travel Services, China Travel Services, China Youth International Travel Services, Zheijinag Tourism Group and Shandong Tourism Administration on the sidelines of the China International Travel Mart.

Among the deals to be signed next week by the Zimbabwean delegation led by Tourism Authority chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke, is the twinning of the Great Zimbabwe National Monument with The Great Wall of China in Beijing.

Historically revered as a symbol of Chinese ancient cultural and architectural supremacy, the Great Wall is visited by an average of 3,000 tourists per day, a thing that Great Zimbabwe should benefit from.

The deal includes marketing, promotion and development of the two national monuments which should see the Chinese who adore and respect the wall as their national shrine, visit the Great Zimbabwe with the same respect and cultural significance.

On Monday, Zimbabwe will also sign a memorandum of understanding with Zheijinag Tourism Group that should see the Chinese group market and promote Zimbabwe's tourist resort areas.

Enshrined in the memorandum is the repackaging of Zimbabwean tourism products in line with the Chinese requirements in order to fully exploit the market of China, which has a population of 1.3 billion.

"You see, our market has been packaging things for the West, for Germany etc. The Chinese are different, they are their own kind and they expect different things all together," Kaseke said, adding, it was time for Zimbabweans to realize that the Chinese were very serious about the Zimbabwean product and that Zimbabwe needs to enlist Chinese people to assist in marketing.

"The groups we have engaged are the biggest tourism wholesalers in the country and we need their expertise as people who have been marketing their own kith and kin," he said.

The Zimbabwean stand at the China International Travel Mart continued to be popular in the second day of trading on Thursday, with hundreds of tourist thronging the stand.

Source: Xinhua