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Zimbabwe: ZTA Set to Boost Russian Market
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Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)
10 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Jennifer Dube
ZIMBABWE intends to boost the Russian clientele for the tourism industry by over 300 percent next year, despite the current volatile political environment, tourism authorities said last week.
This follows a visit by a delegation of Russian tour operators to the country a fortnight ago.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) executive director (destination marketing) Givemore Chidzidzi, said the country intends to grow the Russian clientele for the tourism industry to 20 000 next year, up from 4 500 last year.
Three years ago, only 1 000 Russian tourists visited the country.
"We have been receiving Russian visitors without any pro-active approach from our part," he said. "We invited the visiting delegation after deciding to grow Russia as one of our new markets."
Fourteen tour operators arrived in the country last week, after sealing a marketing and tourism development deal with the ZTA at the Moscow International Travel Tourism Exhibition in March.
Speaking to journalists on arrival at Harare International Airport, team leader Mikhail Muraviev, said the tour operators intended to replicate a tourism plan they adopted for South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.
"Russians do not normally use travel agents but rely a lot on information from friends and relatives," Muraviev said. "We have facilitated numerous visits from Russia since we embarked on that market three years ago and we hope to do that with Zimbabwe."
The team last week visited tourist attractions in Harare, Chivhu, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Matopos, Hwange and Victoria Falls.
Muraviev said the team woul also explore investment opportunities under the second phase of the deal.
"For now, our aim is to spread the word and be able to bring as many as 400 visitors under the second phase which will follow as soon as we agree on the dates with ZTA, " he said.
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"We will also be looking at investment opportunities once we have gathered all the information we need about Zimbabwe," he said.
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