World Travel Market | Zimbabwe and Malaga seek to boost tourism ties
A delegation from Zimbabwe’s tourism sector has met with officials from Malaga Tourism in Spain to explore ways of enhancing co-operation and mutual benefits.
The meeting took place on Monday at the World Travel Market (WTM) Africa event in Cape Town, South Africa, where both countries are showcasing their attractions and products.
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, led the country’s team.
The Malaga team was represented by Spanish Foreign Affairs Ambassador for Expo2027, Ms Francisca Pedros, Deputy Mayor of Malaga for Technologies and Innovation, Ms Susana Carillo, Deputy Mayor of Malaga for Tourism and Human Resources, Mr Jacobo Florido and Director of Malaga Tourism Board, Mr Jonathan Gomez.
The Spanish delegation invited Zimbabwe to join the “Road to 2027” project, which seeks to support African countries that rely on tourism for their economic development.
Zimbabwe shared its National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy, which has a target of reaching a $5bn (£3.6bn) tourism economy by 2025.
The strategy focuses on domestic and international promotion, as well as improving the quality and diversity of tourism offerings.
Zimbabwe also expressed interest in learning from Malaga’s experience in managing and developing sustainable tourism, especially in areas such as:
- Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), a statistical tool that measures the economic impact of tourism
- Digital transformation and innovation in tourism
- Smart cities and urban tourism
- Decentralisation and devolution of tourism
- Capacity building and knowledge transfer
Ambassador Hamadziripi said the meeting was fruitful and that Zimbabwe was honoured by the invitation from Malaga. Adding that Zimbabwe was keen to establish a long-term partnership with Malaga and other Spanish cities to boost tourism co-operation and exchange.
“We had fruitful deliberations with the Malaga team. We are humbled that they are willing and ready to collaborate and cooperate with Zimbabwe among other African countries.
“What remains for us is to study their proposal and agree on areas of common interest and mutual benefits.”
