THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGIES (ICTS) IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE STUDY OF SOCIAL MEDIA
IN THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGIES (ICTS) IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE STUDY OF SOCIAL MEDIA
IN THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR.

ANOS MACHINJIKE

FARAI CHOGA

The Postal and Telecommunications Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) statistics point to
the rise in the use of social media in Zimbabwe. The United Nations World Tourism
Organisation(UNWTO) also allude to the important role played by the tourism industry in the
economic development and growth around the world. This study sought to find a nexus
between the exponential rise in usage of social media and its impact on the tourism and
hospitality in Zimbabwe which ultimately could contribute to the economic growth of the
country. The research set out to focus on establishing from tourists, the influence of social
media in the choice of tourist destinations as well as to determine the role of social media as a
marketing tool from players in the tourism and hospitality sector. Other objectives were to
identify popular social media platforms as well as the benefits and challenges arising out of
the use of social media in the industry. The qualitative research methodology was used for the
study where face to face and telephonic interviews as well as in-depth emailed questionnaires
were used to as data collection instruments using a purposive sampling method. The findings
of the study show that social media plays a significant role in influencing people’s decisions
on choice of tourist destinations and is also an important, cost effective, efficient and
convenient marketing tool. Popularity of social media is also driven by its affordability and
interactive nature. Findings also point out some challenges arising out of use of social media.
The study concluded that social media plays a significant role in the tourism and hospitality
sector. The study therefore recommended the adoption of social media for the purposes of
creating positive perceptions on destinations to improve the pull power of destinations. The
study also recommended the need to uplift the profile of social media in organisations
through employment of appropriate staff to advance digital marketing on social media
platforms. Another recommendation was to call for the enactment of policies to penalise
detractors and culprits who peddle falsehoods and fake news on social media for ulterior
motives

International Journal of Research in Management

2020