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2010 Tourism Marketing A Focused Approach Needed

Staff Reporter 23-05-2009

Efforts to bring any of the big teams to Zimbabwe during the 2010 World Cup should be focused and well coordinated if the country is to woo any team, analysts have said.

Zimbabwe, riding on the wave of renewed confidence brought by the new political dispensation, is competing against its neighbours to attract the big teams to set base in the country during the world cup.

What would have been something impossible half a year ago, now seems a reality as the country was struggling even to attract the attention of the traditional markets.

However, despite the excitement that has been generated by the new political dispensation, analysts said the bid to woo big clubs has to be done in a systematic manner.

“There is a danger that we may try to do a bit more than we can chew and at the end of the day we may find ourselves losing the battle. What is happening at the moment is that the players in the tourism sector are striving to get the ear of all potential participants which may be okay but we may not be taken seriously if each morning we wake up to hear that we have been in Brazil, then Europe, then another continent. Observers would say we are just hoping from one base to the next without actually pushing. My suggestion is that we identify two or three countries and then go on a diplomatic offensive,” said one analyst.

Zimbabwe has so far tried to lure the Samba Boys – Brazil as well as European national teams.

There are a lot of spin offs which would come with the hosting of teams from major countries as there are a lot of tourists who will come to watch them train and just feel proud to be closer to them.

Other countries which have also been bidding to host the big clubs include Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana.

International football governing body FIFA stipulates that a country should be based close enough from the venue of a match. This places countries bordering South Africa an opportunity to host some of the countries which may take part in the World Cup Finals.

There are other issues which also have to be addressed including the capacity to host the big clubs, the language and security.

Zimbabwe appears to have shrugg off the tug of being insecure and can build on the infrastructure it already has as well as the world class facilities which only need to be refurbished.