The influence of linking wildlife and non-wildlife tourist attractions on tourism marketing and performance in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Contemporary tourism marketing requires some innovative ways of addressing the unique needs of new types of tourists who buy packages rather than single types of products, hence the motivation for providing scientific contributions to revitalisation of tourism performance in Zimbabwe. The study focused on determining the influence of linking wildlife and non-wildlife tourism resources in terms of marketing on the overall tourism performance in Zimbabwe. A positivistic research philosophy using a cross-sectional survey design with a total geographic quota sample size of 411 based on 137 stakeholders and 274 tourists was used, and the data collection was conducted in 2019. The results showed that Victoria Falls, Mana Pools, Matopo Hills and Great Zimbabwe were the four top non-wildlife resources for linking with wildlife attractions. All the eight centres, namely, Victoria Falls, Mana Pools World Heritage Site, Matopo Hills, Great Zimbabwe Monuments, Inyangani Mountains, Hotels and Lodges, Chinhoyi Caves and Chilojo Cliffs, were generally perceived as attractive when linked to wildlife attraction centres. A significant positive correlation for linking non-wildlife and wildlife tourism resources was found between tourists and stakeholders. Wildlife and non-wildlife linkages of tourism attractions had a significant positive impact on the overall tourism performance in Zimbabwe. The study recommends that harmonisation and integration of wildlife and non-wildlife tourism centres will improve overall tourism performance in Zimbabwe.