Here is good news for investors-The Tourim Sector is expected to grow in 2017. The number of expected tourist arrivals is expected to continue on an upward trend in 2017. New airlines have entered the Zimbabwe market with Rwandair expected to start direct flights to Harare on the 3rd of April, the Victoria Falls Airport is complete and soon there will be direct flights from Kenya. ZBIN hopes to carry out a comprehensive study of this area and find how our members can benefit. In the meantime, we have divided the sector into the following 8 categories:
1. Accommodation
2. Adventure Tourism and Recreation
3. Attractions
4. Events and Conferences
5. Food and Beverage
6. Tourism Services
7. Transportation
8. Travel Trade
We will analyse developments in each of the 8 categories above looking for trends, competition, opportunities and future outlook. This evening allow us to tackle a new concept of something that has already been happening-our brothers and sisters returning home four tourism-Diaspora Tourism! No readily available data exists about this sector but we believe that this is an area worth analysing with the view of coming up with packages targetting this sector.
‘Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.’ Miriam Beard
Tourism is the world’s fourth most valuable export, after fuels, chemicals and automotive products, while for many developing countries it is the number one export category. Diaspora tourism has created a significant market niche for itself in recent years, marked by the intensification of globalization and transnationalism. The homing desire of various diasporas has become a marketing target for various players in the tourism industry. Even those who do not have direct links to Ireland nurse the desire to visit the land of their ancestors. Diaspora tourism can be divided into three distinct segments – heritage, residential and festival:
1.Heritage tourism is predominantly driven by diaspora tourists who wish to discover their ancestry and heritage.
2.Residential tourists encompass diaspora members who live and work abroad and who have invested or plan to invest in property in their country of origin.
3.Festival tourists include diaspora tourists travelling back for important events and festivals such as Easter, Christmas, weddings and christenings.
Tourism has an importance beyond its direct economic impact, and to reduce the significance of diaspora tourism purely to an economic niche would mean denying it of its real worth. Tourism is essentially an advertising voice to the world, an empathetic connection to the world, an ability to bring back the diaspora, getting them to consider buying more produce from the homeland, coming back for further visits, buying a home in the homeland, investing in the homeland, returning to the homeland full-time. It should be looked at through a variety of angles, among them the context of promoting the identity and culture of the homeland. Some countries are targeting their diaspora for inbound tourism. One such example is Scotland who designated 2009 as Homecoming Scotland. For further information on diaspora tourism please see the insert by Kathleen Newland of the Migration Policy Institute entitled ‘Diaspora Tourism’.
Genealogy can also promote diaspora tourism to the home country. According to Fowler genealogy is ‘the account of descent from ancestor by enumeration of intermediate persons; the investigation of the pedigree of a particular person or family.’88 Genealogy comes third as the most popular subject on the internet. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence points to the existence and potential growth of genealogy tourism, alleged to be one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world.
Genealogy diaspora tourism is a great way to engage the ‘baby boomers’ in the diaspora. When thinking about the future and indeed diaspora strategies, it is natural that we tend to focus on the next generation. In doing so, however, we sometimes forget the baby boomers. In the US there were 77 million people born between 1946 and 1964. They are now turning 60 at the rate of 10,000 a day.90 By 2030 there will be more people aged over 50 than under 18. They are the healthiest, wealthiest and best educated cohort in the history of mankind. As they enter into their ‘third act’ these ‘young old’ are not buying into the old retirement ideal, and after their working careers are over they are having a temporary pause before taking up the next challenge. They are curious, keen to travel and want to try new things. They want to learn. They are conscious of their good fortune and want to give back to society in a meaningful way. They are the segment that shows most interest in researching their ancestry. Just as the next generation needs specific strategies of engagement so, too, does the ‘grey’ market.
Diaspora conferences A recent feature of other countries’ disapora strategies is the extent to which governments are organising events in the home country and inviting key members of the diaspora to attend – and they are responding. An invitation from a government or head of state seems to carry more clout than if from a regular disapora organisation. As previously noted, countries such as Australia, Israel, Scotland and Ireland have organized conferences in the homeland to engage diaspora members. Examples of other such conferences include:
India – Pravasi Bharatiya Divas In 2003 the first major Indian diaspora conference was held which attracted more than 2,000 overseas Indians from 63 countries. The Conference was co-sponsored by the Indian Government and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and was opened by then- Prime Minister Vajpayee. One of the main focuses of PBD 2011, which was attended by over 5,000 delegates, was on the young overseas Indian. In an endeavor to connect with and engage the younger generation of the overseas Indians with emerging India, a plenary session on ‘Engaging with the young overseas Indian’ was organized. There were also parallel interactive sessions on topics important to the diaspora including: (a) industry round table: interaction between diaspora and Indian industry leaders; (b) information, communication and entertainment; and (c) celebrating the Global Indian. PBD conventions provide a platform for exchanges of views and networking to overseas Indians on matters of common interest and concern to them. They also help the Government of India to better understand and appreciate the expectations of the overseas Indian community from the land of their ancestors and more importantly, acknowledge the important role played by them in India’s efforts to acquire its rightful place in the comity of nations. Regional PBD’s are also organized overseas and have been held in New York, Singapore, South Africa and The Hague.
Barbados – Inaugural Barbados Diaspora Conference In 2010, the Government of Barbados organized the Inaugural Barbados Diaspora Conference. Themed ‘Strengthening the Bonds that Unite Us’ the conference explored ways to realize national objectives pertaining to the diaspora, which are under the remit of the Council for Investment, Exports, Foreign Exchange and the Diaspora. It also gave Barbadians and Friends of Barbados residents abroad the opportunity to discuss ways in which they can make tangible contributions to the development of the homeland. The conference was attended by over 300 delegates. Speaking at the opening of the conference the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, stated that ‘while not every overseas Barbadian intended to return they were all anxious to find avenues to contribute to our national development’, and he recognized that ‘we needed to create a comprehensive structure to embrace the Barbadian Diaspora as an integral part of the economic, social and cultural development of Barbados.’
Cameroon Diaspora Economic and Trade Forum In 2010, the Cameroon government organized the first-ever economic and trade forum that brought together home-based development stakeholders and 300 key members of the Cameroon diaspora to brainstorm on how the diaspora could contribute to the country’s economic development. Many agreed it was a milestone in efforts to promote economic growth by encouraging cooperation between the government and its citizens living abroad. The government has stated that the forum will be held annually and is part of a plan to raise Cameroon to the rank of an emerging economy by 2035.
These conferences provide an important forum for home countries to listen to the diaspora and provide them with an opportunity to voice their ideas for ways they can engage with the homeland and home institutions. It is important that countries remember that conferences should not just be a networking event for diaspora members. In order to maintain the enthusiasm stemming from these conferences, countries must implement reporting and follow up mechanisms to ensure that ideas generated at the conferences become tangible and real initiatives.
