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Yesterday, Permanent Secretaries for Energy and Power Development, Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mr Patson Mbiriri, Mr Munesushe Munodawafa and Ms Margaret Sangarwe respectively toured some of the facilities to be used by delegates attending the congress ahead of Dr Sibanda’s visit.

Dr Sibanda heads a high-powered Government delegation mandated to assess the level of preparedness the country has reached ahead of the UNWTO congress. The assessment comes soon after Parliament ratified a $150 million loan facility for the rehabilitation of the Victoria Falls International Airport.

The permanent secretaries visited the Victoria Falls International Airport, the proposed site of the convention centre, the Victoria Falls District Hospital, Victoria Falls Bridge, Kingdom Hotel, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and Victoria Falls Hotel.

The visit by the delegation comes two weeks before the second assessment visit by the UNWTO secretary-general Dr Taleb Rifai, who is scheduled to arrive in the country at the end of the month.

The UNWTO boss was in the country in May to witness the historical signing ceremony of the co-hosting agreement by President Mugabe and his Zambian counterpart President Michael Sata on the Victoria Falls Bridge.