As planes mysteriously disappear, hijacked, blown up and fall from the sky, the world of tourism and travel falls victim to global terror. With security a priority, more people are avoiding travelling abroad in favour of local and closer destinations.
National flagship carrier, Air Zimbabwe.
For frequent travellers, seasoned globetrotters and anyone with an innate sense of wanderlust in them, travelling abroad or flying anywhere for that matter has never been this scary. The recent tragedy of yet another airline together with its 66 victims among them a baby and 2 children has done nothing to alleviate growing fears and security concerns of travelling abroad regardless of destination.
Air Travel The New Deterrent?
As airlines and airport terminals become targets of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, with travellers getting caught in the cross-hairs of a twisted, new threat of aviation terrorism, travelling abroad is increasingly becoming synonymous with dangerous high risk to be avoided at all costs. In fact, air travel is now a deterrent than a luxurious, joyous experience it once was.
Air travel has become synonymous with high risk and something to be avoided. Picture Credit: ThinkStock
The thought of any plane blowing up in mid-flight and falling off the sky for whatever reason (be it technical, mechanical or even deliberate), is enough to force any smart traveller to rethink their destination choice as well as revaluate future travel patterns. As a result, such drastic changes in turn pose serious ramifications, not just for the aviation industry and economies of affected target destinations; the adverse effects also deeply impacts the overall tourism and travel industry including all other related businesses.
New Opportunities
With increasing tragedy and security threats, closer destinations requiring less travelling are becoming more appealing. As more travel companies and travellers are forced to abandon certain overseas destinations, this opens up new opportunities elsewhere, particularly in low risk, safer and less-volatile areas. Zimbabwe as a safe destination together with other countries in the region are potential alternatives for travellers with a penchant for adventure.
Zimbabwe: A Safer Destination
Zimbabwe as a relatively safe destination is an easy alternative. Picture: Umbozha
For the seasoned globetrotter, it is easy to understand why a relatively stable, peaceful and safe destination like Zimbabwe with commendable industry standards is a very easy alternative. The country has adequate resources and all the necessary tools for a perfect destination. These include an abundance of world-class attractions, a well-developed tourism infrastructure in place, great people and a recognizable, popular image.
However, despite the reputation as a perfect destination, a lot still needs to be done in terms of aggressive marketing and promotion of the country particularly in North America. Such a targeted campaign is necessary to highlight the benefits of vacationing in Zimbabwe but most importantly, as strategy to both improve and enhance the perception of the country. With the right message, Zimbabwe will soon reclaim its reputation as the true paradise of Africa.
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