(eTN) – Felix Chaila, Managing Director of the Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB), said: “I like to think that a successful regional integrated tourism is possible in Southern Africa, because we have lots to show to the world. We just need to put our heads together; get this common marketing strategy done.”
He said Southern Africa should find a common ground for the common good of the region. He said one way of creating a successful regional integration would be for countries in the region to embrace integrated tourism through a common marketing approach, beyond political lines. He went on to mention a common visa for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
Hopefully, this innovative idea will not take weeks of workshops, meetings, and collaborations at tax-payers’ cost for all the administrators to travel to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana… and stay in nice hotels, receive out-of-town allowances, travel expenses, etc. Or on the other had, hopefully it is not found necessary to hire, at vast expense, a team of “consultants.”
According to the World Travel Organization, international tourist arrivals reached 940 million, and tourism receipts generated US$919 billion. It is known that regional cooperation makes sense. If all visas are dropped for the major tourist nationalities, SADC personnel is used to find a common branding for the region, and private businesses do the rest, it can actually happen.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- He said one way of creating a successful regional integration would be for countries in the region to embrace integrated tourism through a common marketing approach, beyond political lines.
- If all visas are dropped for the major tourist nationalities, SADC personnel is used to find a common branding for the region, and private businesses do the rest, it can actually happen.
- “I like to think that a successful regional integrated tourism is possible in Southern Africa, because we have lots to show to the world.
