Challenges Facing Zimbabwe in its Look-East Tourism Development and Turnaround Policy for 2014

Abstract

This article focuses on analysing the challenges facing tourism development and the momentous turnaround strategies by Zimbabwe with respect to the declining arrivals and depleting proceeds from tourist revenues. New tourism policies were adopted at the turn of the century geared at reversing the declining trends in tourist arrivals and receipts, and serving as a panacea to the downward spiralling developments in the tourism sector.  A survey was carried out on a drawn up population of 180 registered tour operators, hoteliers and industry stakeholders over an extended period of time in order to identify the current challenges facing the tourism Look-East Policy and establish how the negative impacts could be mitigated. From 123 responses, a turnaround strategy was advanced focusing on how Zimbabwe could pull itself out of this dilemma. The study recognized that, Zimbabwe should intensify its quest to open up new markets in the East to boost arrivals. Evidently, the Look-East Policy can only be a credible alternative when the major challenges facing tourism developments in general are adequately addressed. A strategy encompassing a marketing mix that contents both the traditional visitors from the West and the new visitors from the East is proposed. The paper also applauds a new marketing-mix strategy incorporating pricing, product development and capacity building measures geared towards the Asian market. This development should be complimented by expanded air routes between Zimbabwe and Asia in order to offer regular and affordable air access to Zimbabwe.

Keywords: Tourism management, Look east policy, Product promotion, Turnaround strategies, Marketing-mix.