Page 22 - Meetings Zimbabwe 2nd Edition

Case Studies
Showcasing Zimbabwe to the world
Two events during 2014 summed up the country’s capabilities in the MICE sector, from large scale conferencing at the Jehovah’s Witness meet to a fun trade
familiarisation organised for the 20th anniversary of Africa Albida Tourism at Victoria Falls
Billed as the ‘travel party of the year’, at least in southern Africa, the 20th anniversary celebrations of Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) not only included the good and the great from the Zimbabwe tourism sector, but also served as a showcase to demonstrate the lure of the country to South African leisure and MICE specialists.
According to AAT ceo, Ross Kennedy, the occasion provided an ideal opportunity to promote the new Victoria Falls airport to 200+ special visitors as well as giving guests a new energy to sell Zimbabwe: “We had 85 per cent of the DMCs that matter in South Africa there, and, as well as a gala dinner, lunch cruise on the Zambezi Explorer and a Boma Experience, we had an Amazing Race Rally, organised by Cansaf Zimbabwe.”
Specialist DMC Cansaf devised a three-hour programme to highlight venues and activities around Victoria Falls, with six teams visiting six different points where they completed light- hearted tasks together, according to Cansaf ’s Robin Brown.
“The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge kitchen team laid on a full Master Chef set up; the dance troupe from the Boma Place of Eating trained the teams on the banks of the river in a sequence of “line dance” moves later demonstrated in the centre of town, and artists at a shopping centre in town coached participants to produce impressive artwork of the Falls and wild life on canvas,” he said.
The finale took the teams through the bush in the company of the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit, with the Rally ending on a hill overlooking the site of the new AAT initiative, Santonga Wildlife, Geology and History park, before a well-deserved lunch at the Elephant Wallow.
According to New Frontiers Tours’ Craig Smith, the schedule demonstrated that the destination ticked all the right boxes in terms of group accommodation of a high standard and great catering, ‘plus smiling faces, separate conference facilities, the Boma, plenty of space for events plus the ability to use the right people in Victoria Falls for putting activities together.’
Testing the product with Cansaf
Conventional thinking
Demonstrating similar big ambitions, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority ceo Karikoga Kaseke has voiced his desire for additional large-scale convention facilities in Zimbabwe, following the success of the UNWTO meeting in 2013 and the Jehovah’s Witness event last August which attracted more than 3,400 delegates from around the world, as well as thousands of local participants.
More than 16 hotels and 37 lodges were involved in providing accommodation for the latter, but Kaseke said that a dedicated convention centre would help Zimbabwe attract more large-scale conventions and boost MICE tourism.
In total, around 82,000 people took part in events at the National Sports Stadium and the Rainbow Towers Convention Centre, with Jehovah’s Witnesses from 30 countries, many of whom took time out to visit tourist attractions around the country and provided a boost for the local economy.
“People could see the benefits of MICE tourism during this event,” said Rainbow Tourism Group ceo, Tendai Madziwanyika. “The delegates loved the country, both the scenic attractions and the warmth of the people.”
22 Meetings Zimbabwe 2015