Building Positive Zimbabwean Tourism Festival and Event Destination Brand Image and Equity

Abstract

Globalization has intensified marketing pressures for tourism destinations in their operations at a national, regional, and international level. The dynamics of the twenty-first century have resulted in immense competition, causing organizations in the tourism and hospitality business to adopt new strategic management and operational marketing processes. Branding has become one of the important marketing strategies in withstanding the competitive nature of the tourism industry when offering products and services to tourists. Zimbabwe as a tourism destination has also experienced various changes due to globalization, induced by its socioeconomic and political state of affairs. In order to survive and adhere to the changing market demands, Zimbabwe as a tourism destination has also adopted branding as a marketing strategy, with the aim of holding a high-valued global market position through an extensive brand identity.