China is getting another foot on the African continent. Training residents in it’s so-called “all-weather friends” on how to receive the Asian visitors on their tour to Zimbabwe.
The Chinese presence in Zimbabwe has been increasing in the past doing business and have been accused of looting foreign currency from the African country.
Plans are also underway to bring in more visitors from China, the Asian nation with companies which were involved in Marange diamonds where US$15 billion went missing.
The Asian country, which hosts over a billion in population, has also got hold of the Chatter House, in Harare where it is planning to create rooms for the Chinese people.
Minister of Environment Tourism and Hospitality Industry Priscah Mupfumira, yesterday, launched the China Ready Training program that is being used to teach Zimbabweans to receive more Chinese visitors.
The Minister who is interested in marketing Zimbabwe’s tour destination said such a training program is a collaboration between the Hospitality Ministry through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and Welcome China, a Chinese firm offering training on how to receive Chinese visitors on the Zimbabwean soil.
“Anyone ignoring China at this moment can do so at their own peril given that the country is now globally acknowledged as a vital source market, Mupfumira said.
“The Chinese have spent over US$115 billion globally in outbound tourism expenditure in 2018 and are projected by the UNWTO to double the current outbound trips to 200 million by 2020.”
The training program to teach Zimbabweans Chinese culture is witnessing participants from Victoria Falls and Bulawayo.
“After this training participants will fully appreciate among other things; the Chinese culture and customs, market segments, preferences, behaviour and popular technologies,” Mupfumira said.
“The complete program will also culminate in a 12-month interactive on-line training and certification of individuals and organisations as China Ready.”
“I am extremely happy to witness a cross section of participants from the public and private sectors who have admiringly accepted this call to fully appreciate the demands of the Chinese market,” Mupfumira said.
China is also training 45 other nations who have been certified China Ready guaranteeing experiences for Chinese visitors and tourists.
