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 Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
CHINOTIMBA Old People’s Home in Victoria Falls’ oldest suburb might be a sanctuary for the elderly but the home has potential to attract cultural and township tourism.

Opened in 1979 to accommodate primarily elderly migrant workers who had nowhere to go after working in Victoria Falls for a long time, the home which has 14 inmates, is being given a facelift with the idea of attracting tourists to visit Chinotimba suburb and mix and mingle with locals.

A local couple Mr Jose Luis Regot and his wife Maria who operate Lola’s Restaurant recently facilitated a visit to Victoria Falls by a group of professionals from Spain through the ‘Help VicFalls 2020’ campaign.

The partnership has led to the decoration of the old people’s home, which is currently underway.

The home’s pre-cast wall connects to the St Kizito Roman Catholic Church and is being painted from the main gate. Visitors, including local residents have been making brief stop overs to admire the artistic decoration.

Mr Regot said the idea was borrowed from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where township and cultural tourism is a cash cow for the industry.

Closer to home, township tourism is a booming business in Johannesburg’s Soweto suburb where tourists flock to the oldest location to view vintage former nationalist houses and there are numerous restaurants serving traditional dishes in the area.

In Victoria Falls, a traditional dishes restaurant, Dusty Road, was opened two years ago and could benefit if the anticipated township tourism succeeds.

“This is promoted by the Help Vicfalls 2020 campaign copying the idea from Rio de Janeiro. It was done mainly by the Spanish group working with local artists and the idea is to promote people in Victoria Falls,” said Mr Regot.

“So, decorating walls will attract people into the townships so they can walk around, know the image of Victoria Falls and understand lifestyles.”

He said there was potential in international tourists interchanging with local people. Over the years, tour operating companies have been taking their clients to nearby communities for village tours.

Mr Jaheliduna Ndlovu popularly known as Mpisi and is popular in the tourism industry for establishing KoMpisi Cultural Village at his homestead outside Victoria Falls, said cultural tourism was a low hanging fruit but should be properly packaged to benefit rural and high-density communities.

KoMpisi Cultural Village is a well-known attraction for tourists who want to have a feel of rural life, sleep in huts whose floors are surfaced with cow dung, work in the fields and eat traditional food.

“We have clients that come for meet-the-people tours or village tours as they want to see the way of life, food, livestock and sleep in traditional huts.

“Some book to eat traditional meals while others just enjoy staying in the traditional huts to experience rural village life other than staying in hotels,” he said.

“We have some that come to work at the homestead and eat traditional meals so we hope that concept will attract tourists to visit the area but this should benefit the people at the bottom end of the community.”

Mr Ndlovu expects a group of international tourists to visit his cultural village next month. — @ncubeleon