Tourism businesses that had planned to exhibit at ITB Berlin with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) earlier this month, were unable to do so after the authority did not pay exhibition fees on time.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority CEO, Karikoga Kaseke, told Tourism Update that the authority did pay the exhibition fees, but because it paid after the deadline, exhibition space was not reserved.

Kaseke said exhibitors had been notified that ZTA would not have a stand on the Friday prior to the show, which is when the authority was informed.

Describing the impact on exhibitors who travelled to Germany for the show, Kaseke said it was “devastating”. “I think it was a blow to them.” He said roughly 10 or 11 companies that had planned to exhibit with ZTA still attended the show. “They were registered as trade visitors.”

Kaseke emphasised that ZTA took full responsibility for the situation. “We were late. It was our fault,” he said. “We are very apologetic to our industry for not having the chance this year to be at ITB.” Kaseke added that the industry understood the financial challenges it was facing.

According to Kaseke, exhibitors who had already paid ZTA to exhibit at ITB with the authority would be able to exhibit on ZTA’s stand at Indaba free.