**1.1 Statement of the problem**

hit the 1.4 billion mark from 1.3 billion in 2017. The [3's] tourism forecast which was published in 2010 suggested that the 1.4 billion arrivals would be attained in 2020, yet the rapid tourism growth on the international scale has seen that target being attained two years ahead of time [4]. This growth has seen tourist destinations wrestle fiercely not only for the tourist's expenditure but also for their voice and

The intangibility of tourism products means that their image is the only way which potential tourists have of comparing destinations and choosing between them and therefore it is important to create and transmit favorable images to potential tourists in target markets [4]. As tourism services are intangible, images become more important than reality [5]. This makes the tourist's perceptions of the product not only a fundamental component of the decision-making process, but also a key determinant of the performance of the tourist destination. The idea of DI was introduced into tourism studies in the early 1970s by [5–7] and Pike [4], and has since become one of the most researched topics in tourism-related research [8] due to its association with tourism performance [9]. However, there is a less marked mention of DI recovery and performance in literature, that is, the DI recoveryperformance correlation has been marginalized. Some studies have focused on DI and tourist loyalty [10, 11]. Others have examined DI and technology (film, Internet and others) [11–13]. There is therefore an interstice in research on the DI

Globally, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the United States, Spain and

The [14] has made efforts to react to the tarnished image through various promotions focusing on rebranding as an exceptional ingredient in order to give the country's tourism a facelift [24]. This has seen Zimbabwe as a tourist destination rebranding three times between 1980 and 2011 [24]. However, it appears that the negative image has remained in place, well after the hosting of the highly touted UNWTO General Assembly. Zimbabwe's tourism arrivals and receipts indicate that the sector has been on an unstable path in the last decades, with fluctuating performances in tandem with the deteriorating local economic conditions and the global economic crisis in 2008 exacerbated by the global economic crisis/credit crisis

China continue to top the rankings in terms of both international arrivals and receipts in 2018 [14]. The sound performance of these tourist destinations tended to suggest a strong DI. The European continent continued to lead in terms of arrivals in 2017 (713 million, plus six percent) [15]. Africa's weak image was generally attributed to political upheavals, disease, a poor infrastructure, poverty, and frequent droughts [16]. These factors negatively impacted the economies of the African destinations and specifically, the tourism economies. [16] identified Africa's 'unfortunate' image as an obstacle to the region's competitiveness in the global tourism market, ascertaining that there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that Africa faces a huge challenge in counteracting the continent's prolonged negative image and perceived risks as a tourist destination. This was part of the reason why in 2018 Africa attracted only five percent of the international overnight visitors, accounting for 67 million international tourists [3] against a global total of 1.403 billion international tourists. Tourist arrivals in sub-Saharan Africa grew by 6% with the island destinations, namely Cabo Verde, Reunion and Mauritius registering strong growth [3]. What seems to be emerging from the above discussion is that many African destinations, including Zimbabwe, are faced with a challenge of a weak DI and an equally weak performance of the tourism sector. There is a dearth of research on destination performance [17]. Scholars who have explored tourism performance include [17–23]. However, these researchers did not explore DI and the performance of the tourism sector jointly. This study sought to fill this

mind.

*Tourism*

interstice.

**102**

recovery and performance nexus.

Zimbabwe is grappling with a negative tourist DI and a decline in the performance of the tourism sector. Despite several studies, for example [23, 27–29] which have been carried out to improve the performance of the country's tourism sector, image and performance remain problematic. Zimbabwe's travel and tourism competitiveness index (ranking) has not been impressive. In 2015, Zimbabwe was ranked 115 out of 141 tourist destinations across the world and an equally low 114 out of 136 destination in 2017 [30]. In terms of prioritization of travel and tourism, Zimbabwe was at 105 out of 136 while it scored a very low 134 out of 136 destinations for its business environment in 2017 [30]. In terms of international arrivals, the 2011 figure of 2423 20 was marginally better than the 2017 figure of 2,422,930 [14]. This suggested a lack of tangible growth in terms of arrivals. The country's image in the source markets is still associated with political instability, policy inconsistency, and disease outbreaks [30]. There is a strong market perception that the destination is not price competitive and that the overall product is tired [14]. In [25], it is noted that [14] has been promoting tourism through beauty pageants, carnivals and sporting events such as soccer tournaments. The ZTA website has also served as a promotional tool [14]. However, as indicated by [26], Zimbabwe is still failing to gain its previous position as a destination of choice. Furthermore, the goal of a middle income economy for Zimbabwe by 2030 may remain a pipe dream unless there is an improvement in the economic, social and political environments [26]. Although Zimbabwe's tourist figures have increased here and there since 2008, as a destination, it is still struggling to restore itself to its former glory as a competitive force in southern Africa. Zimbabwe's negative perception hinders its visibility in the international markets as a tourist destination which in turn is reflected in weak demand among international tour operators and travel agencies [4]. Negative perceptions of tourist destinations lead to the poor performance of the industry [31]. The highest number of tourists the country has received (2579974) in 2018 almost equals that of 2007 (2505988), that is, twelve years ago. Unless this problem of a weak image is resolved, Zimbabwe's negative perception in the source markets will remain, and the performance of the tourism sector will remain depressed resulting in a low tourism multiplier effect. The study will benefit tourism and hospitality stakeholders such as tourists, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, tourism and hospitality researchers, planners, policy formulators, tourism and hospitality business operators and local communities.
