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Leonard Ncube, [email protected] 

TOURISM operators in Victoria Falls in Matabeleland North are slowly embracing the responsible tourism concept where communities benefit from proceeds generated from the clients they handle.

Victoria Falls is the country’s tourism gateway and ranks among the top world destinations receiving several hundreds of tourists every year.

Government wants Victoria Falls to become its conference capital and the Second Republic is pushing a deliberate agenda to promote various kinds of new tourism products including sports, religious, cultural and gastronomy tourism.

President Mnangagwa launched the National Tourism Growth and Recovery Strategy in Victoria Falls in 2020 as the destination is the face of the country.

Responsible tourism involves a range of actions, including supporting local businesses, conserving natural resources, protecting cultural heritage and respecting the rights and dignity of local people. 

It helps preserve local communities and cultures, contributes to local economies and helps preserve the environment and wildlife too. 

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, when responsibly planned and managed, tourism has demonstrated its capacity to support job creation, promote inclusive social integration, protect natural and cultural heritage, conserve biodiversity, generate sustainable livelihoods and improve human well-being.

While various tourism operators have embraced green tourism in line with best practice, some operators such as Wild Horizons, a leading tour operator and hotelier, have introduced a new concept whereupon booking a client, they sell an idea of the client considering doing something for the community during and after their stay.

Some clients have returned to do some projects while others have adopted some vulnerable children whom they pay school fees for among other needs.

Speaking recently at the launch of a biogas digester in Chidobe Ward outside Victoria Falls, tourism executive Mrs Barbara Murasiranwa-Hughes called for the adoption of a responsible tourism concept.

Wild Horizons reservations manager, Ms Lister Nyathi, urged operators to seek partnerships with clients to help develop communities they operate in.

“When we book clients, we encourage them to do responsible tourism and to partner with us in corporate social responsibility work.

This is a new concept of responsible tourism where we want to empower communities so that they realise the benefits of the natural resources around them,” she said.“So this is our new packaging strategy when selling our products and activities.”

Wild Horizons undertakes various tourism activities including village tours and nature activities around nearby communities.

The company recently commissioned a biogas digester project in Chidobe Ward where four such facilities have been piloted through partnership with some clients identified through the responsible tourism concept.

The biogas digesters, installed at traditional leaders’ homesteads, were done in partnership between Wild Horizons and clients only identified as Barbara and Dennis Blue and Africa Inscribed.

The biogas project will cascade to the entire community as tourism complements Government efforts in harnessing renewable energy and embracing innovative technology while also aligning with Government’s Green Policy towards the fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action.