Harare — Thousands of Zimbabweans and foreign tourists in Matabeleland on Wednesday viewed the spectacular total solar eclipse.

It was an exciting moment for those in Beitbridge, Maphisa and Plumtree when the sky went dark, animals fell silent and crowds of locals and foreign tourists watched in awe the total solar eclipse.

That thousands of foreign tourists had flocked to Zimbabwe in the past few weeks for the solar eclipse did not go down well with some of the country's detractors.

It is not surprising that on the South African side of Messina there were posters calling on tourists not to visit Zimbabwe because "there was no food and water". Unfortunately, those on the other side of the border could not view this once for life phenomenon as the skies were covered by clouds.

But the bad publicity could not stop the tide of foreigners coming to view the eclipse. Over 20 000 foreigners were in Matabeleland this week and more could have crossed into Zimbabwe to Beitbridge had it not been for the negative campaign in South Africa.

The foreigners who were here were pleasantly surprised by the peace and tranquility prevailing in Zimbabwe, which was in sharp contrast to what they have been made to believe. They have pledged to encourage friends and relatives to come and also enjoy the country's hospitality.

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Cde Francis Nhema, is convinced that when tourists who visited the country to witness the phenomenon return to their countries they will help correct the distorted image of Zimbabwe.

The tourism industry on its part should grab with both hands the opportunities presented by the eclipse to aggressively re-market the country as a safe and attractive destination. The momentum created should not just end with the eclipse. We should see to it that sceptical visitors who came to Zimbabwe should leave this country convinced that what they have read in some so-called independent newspapers does not represent the situation on the ground.

This month is crucial for Zimbabwe in as far as image-building is concerned. In a few days Zimbabwe will be hosting the Miss Malaika pageant. This will also provide the platform for the nation to project its real image. The spin-offs from the two events are too numerous to mention.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Zimbabwe Council of Tourism should sharpen its marketing strategies in order to turn around the financial fortunes of the tourism industry.

Tour operators, hotel owners and other players in the industry should also play their part in marketing the country. The job at hand is such that the ZTA and ZCT will not be able to accomplish it alone.

The industry should review the experiences during the eclipse period as there were concerns in some quarters that the country did not again aggressively market itself during the period.

The industry can only move forward through such a review process. The eclipse has come and gone but it has shown what the country can do to have tourists pouring in.

Despite the negative publicity foreign tourists came to Zimbabwe, showing that tourists can visit provided the country is properly packaged and marketed.

It is up to us to go out and woo tourists.