Harare (New Ziana) -All is set for commemorations to mark World Tourism Day, which will be held in Mutoko, Mashonaland East province, where a host of activities have been lined up, a cabinet minister has said.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said the main commemorations will be held at Suswe Lodges on Wednesday following a number of activities that have been happening leading to the occasion.
The United Nations designated 27 September of every year to create awareness on the socio-economic benefits derived from the Travel and Tourism sector, together with its entire value chains.
“All roads will be leading to Mash East in Mutoko at Suswe Lodges where the main commemorations will be held. As you may be aware, the World Tourism Day celebrations are hosted in collaboration with provinces on a rotational basis and this is in line with the Government thrust of leaving no one and no place behind in terms of tourism development and distribution of tourism benefits,” she said.
“We have been having several meetings and functions since the beginning of the year raising awareness on the importance of this day.”
This year the theme is “Tourism and Green Investments” which is placing emphasis on ‘Investing in people, investing in the planet and Investing in prosperity.”
Rwodzi said as part of promoting this year’s theme, her Ministry will promote Small to Medium Enterprise Tourism business, Religion Tourism, Community Based Tourism Enterprises such as Rural and Township tourism, and Sports tourism.
She said the performance of the travel and tourism sector globally has improved significantly during the period 2022 to 2023 after the Covid-19 pandemic, with Zimbabwe also recording pleasing strides.
“Zimbabwe has witnessed a notable increase in tourist arrivals, receipts and investments. During the first half of 2023, the country registered an increase of 62 per cent international tourist arrivals from 366 062 in 2022 to 591 524 in 2023.
“A marked increase in tourism receipts was also realized with an estimated rise of 16 per cent from US$343 million in 2022 to US$398 million in 2023 over the same period. The total amount of investments in 2023 increased by 24 per cent compared to the same period in 2022, recording a total of US$120 million up from US$96.5 million,” she said.
Meanwhile Rwodzi said she was satisfied with preparations for the 16th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo which will be held from the 12 to the 14th of October in Bulawayo were shaping up.
She said 276 exhibitors have already confirmed their presence from the target of least 300.
Amongst the exhibitors are 29 regional organizations coming from South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia whose presence adds a rich variety of cultural experiences to the showcase and opens up exciting possibilities for continental tourism collaborations.
“The participation of these organizations is testament to the growing significance of Sanganai/Hlanganani as a key event on the regional tourism calendar and the country’s engagement efforts,” she said.
Rwodzi said this year the government looks forward to over 4 000 face to face meetings surpassing the 2 000 achieved in 2022, owing to the increased number of exhibitors and local corporates speed networking.
New Ziana
