As is the custom, Zimbabwe will join the world in commemorating the World Tourism Day on the 27th of September every year, and dedicates the month of September to raise awareness of tourism by organising a number of activities for the month of September in a build-up to the main celebrations.
In her brief to the press, Priscah Mupfumira, said Zimbabwe has been celebrating World Tourism Day since 1980 and the Government, through the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry (which she is Minister) designated the month of September every year as the “Tourism Month”.
The Ministry will this year take the celebrations to different provinces of the country. Earlier this month, Zimbabwe hosted a successful Sanganayi/Hlanganani Tourism Expo in Bulawayo from 6-8 September 2018, where 240 buyers, 288 exhibitors, 21 countries and 15 media houses across the globe converged at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds, vindicating the fact that indeed Zimbabwe is now open for business.
Minister Mupfumira said a number of activities have been lined up during the Tourism month. There is the Africa Youth in Tourism Conference running from today the 19th of September up to the 23rd of 2018, ZITF Grounds, Bulawayo.
The Africa Youth in Tourism Conference is an Annual Conference where young people and stakeholders in tourism, gather to discuss and map the course for the effective participation of young people in tourism in Africa.
“The second edition of the Conference, which is the brainchild of the Zimbabwe Youth in Tourism will be held in Bulawayo from the 19th to the 23rd of September, at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Grounds, under the theme Fostering Tourism Development and Innovation in Africa through Youth Participation.
“The First Lady of The Republic of Zimbabwe, Her Excellency Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa is The Patron of Zimbabwe Youth in Tourism. She is a philanthropist, a Mother, a Business Woman, a community builder and a champion for young people’s development. The conference has now grown to encompass a tourism experience, where youths will also have an opportunity to undertake field visits to different tourist resorts. This will go a long way in marketing our Brand Zimbabwe,” Minister Mupfumira said.
She invited all youths with interest in participating in the tourism sector, as scholars, as direct entrepreneurs or along the tourism supply chain to attend and participate during the conference.
Tourism Symposium, 24 September 2018: Lupane State University
In order to ensure our academics can also input into its policies and programs, the Ministry of Tourism, as part of the Tourism Month Celebrations will be hosting a symposium at Lupane State University on the 24th of September 2018.
The Symposium will see 13 Academics presenting their papers and abstracts on this year’s World Tourism Day theme which is Tourism and Digital Transformation.
“The Ministry is grateful to organisations such as Shearwater (Pvt) Ltd, Africa Albida, Cresta Hospitality, Meikles Hotel, Wild Horizons and Afrosoft (Pvt) Ltd who have come on board and will be sponsoring prizes for the event as part of their partnership with the Ministry and the sector at large.
“As a Ministry we believe this function is crucial as it will provide the much needed synergies between academic researchers and Government,” Minister Mupfumira said
FRIST ZIMBABWE/ZAMBIA JOINT TOURISM TECHNICAL (JTTC) COMMITTEE MEETING: 23-24 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Ministry will be hosting the first Joint Tourism Technical Committee (JTTC) meeting with Zambia from 23-24 September 2018 in Victoria Falls.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Co-operation in the field of Tourism which was signed in 2012 between the two countries can be used as a tool for tourism development and poverty alleviation. The two countries have reached a point of no return in their resolve to reinvigorate their co-operation so as to make a difference to the bilateral relations between the two countries and their peoples.
The JTTC discussions will cover areas of tourism co-operation, including joint tourism promotion, promotion of cultural heritage sites and sustainable handicraft production and preservation, classification and standardisation of tourism products and facilities, product development, sustainable tourism development, tourism investment and collaboration in training of tourism personnel and capacity building.
The sheer breadth of the engagements is testimony that two countries’ relations have greatly diversified with the passage of time and are poised to develop further in an all-round manner.
Tourism Convention
The Ministry in partnership with the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe, will also be hosting a Tourism Convention from 25 to 28 September 2018.
Tourism is an enabler driven sector and this conference will bring together all Line Ministries whose mandates involve enabling the development and promotion of the Tourism Sector and will ensure that there is mutual collaboration for the development of the sector.
In addition, a panel of experts from all Governments mainly Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe players in the region will be held to deliberate on issues of mutual concern along the Golden Triangle of Tourism which incorporates these countries.
“Our collaboration as the three countries has made it easy for a visiting tourist to arrive through Zambia, have breakfast in Zambia, proceed on a day trip to Chobe and have Lunch in Botswana, and come to see the Victoria Falls and have dinner in Zimbabwe. Such seamless travel has been made possible by our Univisa which although primarily between Zimbabwe and Zambia allows for day trips to Chobe.
“Various topics on tourism aviation policies, funding, taxation, poverty alleviation and job creation will be discussed at this conference and we are calling on all tourism players, line Ministries and various agencies to join us on this exciting convention.”
World Tourism Day Celebrations
On the 27th of September 2018, Zimbabwe will join the rest of the world in commemorating the World Tourism Day. The theme for this year is “Tourism and the Digital Transformation” which seeks to emphasise on the opportunities provided to tourism, by technological advances including big data, artificial intelligence and digital platforms, on the map of sustainable development.
Minister Mupfumira said that in line with the guidance of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) the Government sees digital advances and innovation as part of the solution to the challenge of marrying continued growth with a more sustainable and responsible tourism sector.
The World Tourism Day celebration was started by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation in the year 1980. This international day seeks to address global challenges outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals and to highlight the contribution the tourism industry can make in reaching these goals.
“As we put in motion our plans to celebrate the events earmarked for the month of September we call upon the whole nation to join us in these official programs and in also carrying out a number of initiates designed to make Zimbabwe a uniquely beautiful tourism destination that it is,” Minister Mupfumira added.
