Thursday, March 28, 2024

Zambia clinches deal with BBC, CNN

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WITH six months and some days remaining before the widely publicised United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general Assembly takes place in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo talks to tour operators (not in picture) at Royal Livingstone Hotel to iron out accommodation challenges and other related issues
WITH six months and some days remaining before the widely publicised
United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general Assembly
takes place in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo
talks to tour operators (not in picture) at Royal Livingstone Hotel to
iron out accommodation challenges and other related issues

Zambia has clinched a deal with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Cable News Network (CNN) in which the two international news networks will begin marketing Zambia’s tourism ahead of the UN World Tourism Organisation general assembly slated for August this year.

This came to light in Berlin, Germany today when regional heads of the BBC and CNN met Tourism and Arts Minister Silvia Masebo at the Zambian stand at the ongoing World travel trade show.

BBC Director for Africa, Katie Waxman and CNN Director for Europe, Middle East and Arfica, Imran Ahmad discussed with Ms Masebo a number of strategies that will be employed to market Zambia’s tourism.

The two international news networks demonstrated to the minister how Zambia’s tourism will be show cased to the international community and how the country stands to benefit from this marketing strategy.

Zambia and Zimbabwe will be co-hosting the 20th session of the186 member UNWTO general assembly in Livingstone and Victoria Falls Town.

And speaking in an interview with Zambian journalists in Berlin, Zambia Tourist Board (ZTB) Managing Director Felix Chaila said the contract with BBC and CNN has already been signed.

Mr Chaila said Zambia has initiated advertising programmes on both BBC and CNN in which the country will be showcased as the preferred tourism destination.

“This is a ground breaking development because Zambia as a preferred destination will be viewed internationally as BBC and CNN are high profile international media organisations,” he said.

Mr Chaila said Zambia has employed marketing strategies in which advertising will be done using a combination of media platforms.

“We are going to also place adverts on BBC online as you know that most tourists rely on internet search engines to get information,” said Mr Chaila.

Mr Chaila said Zambia wants to create a long term relationship with CNN and BBC as it seeks to increase visibility through the international media audience.

“We want tourists to choose Zambia as the best destination,” he said.

ZANIS

42 COMMENTS

  1. Stale news. The agreement was signed a couple months ago by Zambia tourism board and they did announce that. Silvia just chew your travel allowance quietly than telling us stale news

    • Nothing wrong with hearing the results of an impromptu interview. What is clear is firstly this is a UN vehicle. Secondly each country coming is there to promote itself. Thirdly both UK and US have had severe fall in numbers so the joint promotion is a potential money earner for them through product placements and advertising in their home markets.

      The question is who owned the media rights and if Zambia negotiated wisely or just winds up putting money on to platforms that will have some impact but not as strong as if they have a strong independent plan to promote local tourism and arts. We should already have social media campaigns, locally produced programs online and plenty of events to showcase. Lastly local music for background use should be pushed and Zamcops awoken from slumber.

    • GOOD POINT. ARE BBC AND CNN DOING IT FOR FREE? TELL US ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION, IMWE.

  2. Yes let them in so they can showcase to the world the human right abuses rampant in the country. Zambia is preferred because they don’t like our neighbour or should we say they are banned there.

    • GOOD MOVE. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE STREETS AND UNDERGROUND SYSTEMS BILLBOARDS ADVERTS. NO ONE MISSES EG THE UNDERGROUND AND STREET BILLBOARDS, WHILE MANY PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY, MOSTLY TRAVEL MISS TV. THE TIME THEY WILL BE SHOWING (BEDTIME N WORKING HOURS) IT’S EITHER THEY ARE ON THE MOVE TO N FRO WORK. OR JUST TOO TIRED TO WATCH TELLY.

      THERE’S NO HUMAN RIGHT ABUSE IN ZAMBIA. BUT THERE’S A LOT OF IT PERPETRATED BY THE US IN THE US AND OUTSIDE US. WHAT IS THERE IS PEOPLE WHO IN THE PAST WHO HAVE ABUSED IT AND ARE DESPERATELY BLOCKING GOVT FROM BRINGING THEM TO BOOK.

    • @Peter so arresting opposition leaders without charge is not abuse? The president blocking his ministers from being investigated is not abuse? What about the post? are they angels to you?Bad governance does not go hand in hand with international investment or tourism. Let’s get our house in order first before we can start showing off how wonderful our country is or you will eventually get negative publicity from these guys. Anything Zimbabwe was gold dust for the BBC at one point, now look at what Bob has done to them.

    • They already have local correspondents. Do you think if there was no mileage and revenue to be gained these companies would be involved? We cannot ignore our problems but by the same token it is a rare opportunity to boost the hard work already put in by the tourism sector, gain a better foothold, learn from seeing how well others exhibit their countries and more. In the long term we do ourselves a great injustice if we stop any positive movement due to resolvable negatives. Let the politicians sit down maturely instead of looking to damage economic progress after all each is the potential caretaker of the future industry. Build brand Zed for Zed.

  3. Excellent move. Better now than never. This is good news because not many people know about Zambia. Let’s keep an eye on the statistics of tourists and evaluate the outcome three months after the conference.

    • Three months is too short. Most people plan holidays well in advance so one needs to see the effect on the 2014/2015 holiday season.

  4. This is development in the right direction. Better now than never. This is good news because not many people know about Zambia. Let’s keep an eye on the statistics of tourists and evaluate the outcome three months after the conference.

  5. “We are going to also place adverts on BBC online as you know that most tourists rely on internet search engines to get information,” what about ZNBC, Watchdog, Lusakatimes, lusaka voice, kitwe times, tumfweko, tumone and many more can do that job why BBC and Cable net work trust your own masebo don’t depend on others to chew your maonies

  6. Very well, just how much local jobs to be created with this venture? I urge BBC and CNN to stick to the objective of this venture not start exploring Zambia’s side effects of being a third world African country as i have seen on most of the channels here. You know what i mean, if you dont…, figure it out!

    • Don’t worry about that. The question is why we do not set up media in other countries to promote the things we do get right or counter the imagery. The question is where are our books and stories. Where are our sites and films. It’s time to push our educational, creative and artistic works in to the mainstream for the spot will never be given as they do lurve a negative story. We can give every child a desk, books, food in belly, classroom, medical access. Until we do there will be a flip side and a job for a foreign celebrity to look charitable back home…

    • A Phiri you are so right, you know what? i have always wanted to get busy with the Zambian Embassy here and suggest what you have just pointed out, am glad to hear this from you, maybe i should now.

  7. The usual Zambian inferiority complex at play. You think BBC and CNN will bring any impact. Start with your own local TV stations like ZNBC, Movie, first before you rush to BBC and CNN. The only interst is to sign contracts where they will get kick backs which they misleadingly call commissions. Encourage your local tourists, investors first before you rush outside. Just like screening Prmier league soccer matches on ZNBC when you cannot screen your local league first does not make sense at all. Supersport which is 1000s of kilometres away is able to screen the Zambian Super league matches when ZNBC which less than a kilometre from the stadium hosting the match is failing unless donors give it dollars to misuse.

    • Our local stations still have home team advantage. The question is are they using it? There will be a huge demand for the kind of footage sitting cooling in the archives room. They should be busy creating new programmes and preparing to license footage, teaming up to produce local events, setting up online access. We have to sell ourselves and BBC plus CNN are media buyers so no complacency. Let’s do what we do best. Our local channels do not internationally promote well and whoever is at the helm needs to piggy back on this to learn and earn.

  8. It won’t make any difference for as long as garbage is all over our towns and cities and for as long as political violence continues. Everyone sees the real Zambia on the Internet daily. So no one will be fooled.

  9. Can we now all agree that Sata and PF and CHIBWI-NO-PLAN??? They have had to bring in a muzungu, after failing to think.

    • South Africa and Kenya have thrived in tourism industry partly because they have marketed the industry very well on these international media.This is because a wider audience is captured. Everything is politics to some of you.

  10. I will tell you one thing for free. When CNN & BBC start beaming Zambian tourist destinations, it brings problems along. The tourist are a very careful and sensitive bunch. They go to their tourist consultants to inquire on the country’s profile on human rights,health status and so on. If a tourist finds u bundle your citizens in filthy cells without due process, for speaking their mind, or there’s a prevalence of strange diseases. They won’t come. No matter whether CNN or BBC ‘showcased’ u. They will think u habitate with the Taliban. They are simply a skeptical species.

    • Can you honesty tel me that Human rights record South Africa and Kenya is better than Zambia. By the way, kenya may posses some good infrastructure than Zambia but that country filth.

  11. Question, what is the NPV of this investment if any analysis was made? Obviously CNN and BBC have positive NPV but Zambia is -ve.

  12. Firstly, promote your own media like ZNBC and Movie TV by making them internationally accessible before spending money on BBC and CNN. Start live streaming of these media and up load them on free to air channels for any one to watch them every where in the world. These local stations have got potential to sell our culture to attract international visitors like the way the famous Nigerian movies and the Emmanuel TV of Nigeria have achieved to SCOAN & Nigeria. If people all over the world were able to access our local media, they will appreciate our culture, music and all tourist attractions in Zambia. Locals have to be encouraged and involved too because they are the first contacts and if they are consulted about vic falls and express ignorance, tourists lose trust. Adverts can,t tell all.

    • My personal view is there is still a culture of unwillingness to embrace innovation, genuinely support arts, engage tourism industry online skills. Essentially there are two worlds. The one being run successfully by local people mainly of foreign descent and the South Africans/ Zimbabweans then our always behind the curve tourist board. Just look how foreigners managed to run and dominate the Livingstone festival in our backyard. Either work with them, learn from them or compete positively. Apathy, self interest and failure to engage as one has no clue how to change the game are traits that provide the tourism minister and board with a challenge. Ripping off ideas will not sustain you folks forever. Time to provide truth is now so you can still be helped.

  13. #13, I some how agree with some of your points. Go on YouTube, you will find a filth Zambia portrayed by the BBC over the mines and Tazara. I have my own videos on YouTube but the local TV stations have let us down. Muvi TV has video clips of with poor reporters who can’t even pronounce words properly. Put it simply, as long as street vending and political violence continue, many tourists will not come.

  14. It’s about time damn it! No deal was clinched. When you pay CNN or BBC enough money they will air your s.h.it!

  15. Do that with CCTV and you will see the benefits.Chinese are the people who travel and spend alot.BBC and CNN are living on their past glory

  16. The agenda of BBC and CNN If you have eyes and ears to see and hear, is to paint a bad image of our good country. This is the case with most other African countries. So how do you go to someone or an organisation that diligently works against you asking them to market you. Our biggest weakeness is that we forever expect external forces to do everything for us. Unless we change this mindset we won’t manifest the infinite potential of our motherland. We need to keep our MONEY with ourselves. ZAMBIANS must be taking centre stage in promoting our country and developing it.

  17. The problem we have is not advertising but lack of capacity and infrastructure. If you only have 10 beds then you won’t make much money even if they are full all year around, even if everyone in the world knows about your place. ZTB is useless

  18. What is in it for BBC and CNN? Have you promised them to use Livingstone as the new launchpad to attack their arch enemy Uncle Bob? This is BBC licence fee we are talking of here.
    Has Ms. Masebo cleared this with her boss in plot 1? this is going to back fire on Masebo if she has given these guys “an all access pass” unless she is happy with the business phrase “there is no such thing as bad publicity”

  19. You want good marketing strategies talk to the people who market Tanzanian Tourism and how they have managed to advertise Tanzania on live EPL games at Stoke City FC’s home ground for past 3 seasons. Don’t waste our money on expensive CNN!!

  20. Trying to mkt zed on BBC and CNN will be futile if you don’t work on your poor hygeine standards,bribery and a mindset that expects foreigners to lift you up.This deal with the two media houses is an extention of the zambian mindset of expecting others to do the heavy lifting while you just wait for the prize.Lazy asses.

  21. I always wonder why Zambia does not market and package herself as a niche safari market as our locations are not only exotic but tranquil; less busy than our big rivals East Africans where there are traffic jams at peak times in national parks. Imagine Zambia is the home to Norman Carr walking safaris where else can you get that…we have to clearly define ourselves and which clientèle we want to attract to our parks.
    So the question to Madam Masebo is who do you really want to attract by advertising on BBC and CNN? Why not approach the print media like Sunday Times UK, Guardian UK and New York Times at least you know who you are reaching out to……

  22. I actually saw the advert on both CNN and BBC and i was overwelmed,so i decided to search on the net and i found this information soo i would like to congratulate whoever came up with the idea because this will surely bring development to Zambia .Am very happy!!!

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