Officials from the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority address a gathering at the Expo 2020 Dubai.

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Business Editor

The Government of Zimbabwe has facilitated Zimbabwe’s presence at the 2020 Dubai Expo for the past five months and this tourism event comes as one of the highlights of all the efforts being made to re-engage and reconnect with the global community, mainly the Middle East market during the notable global event.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is the country’s National Tourist Organization, a Parastatal formed through the Tourism Act 1996 Chapter 14:20 of 1996, whose mandate is, among other functions, to promote Zimbabwe as a tourism destination locally, regionally and internationally. The Authority falls under the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

Barbra Rwodzi - Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate Tourism and Hospitality Industry said in her address at Expo 2020 Dubai, ‘We have been impressed with our presence and the genuine interest in Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority at Expo 2020. It has exceeded all our expectations and achieved all our KPI goals for the project and we look forward to following up all our leads through all our key contacts, both existing and new ones. We thank the authorities and officials at Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE for all their support.’

The presence at Expo 2020 Dubai has reinforced the functions of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority through networking and strategic meetings and collaboration with our partners in Dubai and this Middle East region, as below:

To promote Zimbabwe as a destination for tourists and to promote the tourism industry in overseas, regional and domestic markets.

To develop marketing skills and initiatives within the industry. To promote high standards in the tourism industry through the establishment of standards, training and human resources development. To register and grade designated tourist facilities. To promote the development of tourist facilities.