Zimbabwe walked the talk of being ‘open for business’ by sending a tourism delegation to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai – which ran from April 22-25 – shortly after the World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition in Cape Town, which ended on April 20.

Led by Zimbabwe Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Priscah Mupfumira, the delegation met with strategic decision-makers, including leading tour operators, airlines and other government officials, in an effort to increase tourist arrivals from the Asian and Middle East markets.

Airline access from Dubai is through Emirates, Kenya Airways, RwandAir, South African Airways and Ethiopian Airways; with Zimbabwe offering tourists from the Middle East a wide range of luxury accommodation options, ranging from city hotels and lodges to tented camps across the country.

Fuelled by Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s key mantra to grow Zimbabwe’s attractiveness as a tourist destination, ATM offered an exceptional opportunity for the country’s tourism representatives to interact with potential investors as its administration seeks to rebuild confidence and increase foreign direct investment to revive the national economy.

Mupfumira shares the Ministry’s mission for brand Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe’s offerings to the Middle Eastern market.