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Minister Mzembi

Charity Ruzvidzo recently in Buhera
THE Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has launched a domestic tourism campaign aimed at enhancing communities’ participation in the sector and creating wealth for ordinary people.Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister  Engineer Walter Mzembi officially launched the programme during this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations at Matendera Monuments in Buhera on Saturday.

The minister said the move was meant to increase tourism contribution to the economy through benefits to community development.
“In line with this year’s theme, which says ‘Tourism and Community Development’, it’s for that simple reason that in Zimbabwe, we’re seriously looking at the potential of the tourism sector in contributing towards the development of the community,” said Eng Mzembi.
“Zimbabwe’s rich and diversified tourism attractions, which in most instances are situated near rural communities, can be exploited to develop and promote remote community based tourism.”

He said under the programme local communities were going to benefit extensively from the revival of the monuments that would be upgraded to tourist resort sites.

“Local tourism will create jobs for locals and vastly reduce rural urban migration while opening doors to the young and fostering gender equality through job opportunities,” said the minister.

Eng Mzembi said a collaborative approach to community based tourism where locals would identify and take a leading role in developing identified sites was ideal.

“Communities living within or around tourist attractions areas should directly participate in the planning, development and management of tourism activities. The country has a rich and diverse natural and man-made resource base that could be developed through Community Based Tourism Enterprises (CBTEs), which are viable tourism business projects,” he said.

The minister said the Matendera monuments were a stepping stone initiative towards developing and reviving a near extinct national heritage.

“Matendera monuments are just the beginning of the campaign. Following the successful launch of the National Tourism Policy at national level, it’s my resolve to have the policy cascade to all provinces by year end,” he said.

Isaac Murombedzi, director of domestic tourism in the ministry, said they were  engaging relevant authorities to ensure the development of domestic tourism.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry is aware of the challenges faced by communities such as bad roads, lack of network coverage and lack of marketing.

“We’re engaging relevant line ministries and local authorities to partake in our resolve to revive the country’s forgotten heritage,” he said.

Tourism is one of the key economic drivers in Zimbabwe contributing 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

It is one of the four pillars earmarked to drive the economy alongside agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

The sector is expected to contribute 15 percent to GDP, generate $1.8 billion in foreign currency from the current $749 million and to increase tourist’s arrivals from 2.5 million to 3.2 million by 2015.