Umzingwane seeks partners to unlock tourism potential
UMZINGWANE Rural District Council (RDC) is keen to secure public, private partnership towards raising about US$2,5 million to fund different tourism value chains.
The proposal was tabled during the recent Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo that was held in Bulawayo and offered the local authority opportunity to showcase its tourism investment opportunities aimed at creating opportunities for young people and women.
In an interview, Umzingwane RDC chief executive officer, Mrs Sithembiso Sibanda, said the district was endowed with many tourist attraction sites, which need to be unlocked to flourish.
“There are plenty of tourism industry investment opportunities that include lodges, camp sites, tour operators and transport operators and arts retail business,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda also said investors can consider hosting outdoor events like mountain biking, cultural exchange programmes, formation of traditional dance groups, traditional food outlets, indigenous fruit packaging, music and food festivals among other tourist activities.
Some of the tourist sites in Umzingwane include Diana’s Pool, Lumene Falls, Matshatsha Falls, Kumbudzi ruins, Umzingwane Cultural Centre and Mtshabezi Dam.
Kumbudzi Ruins was built using rocks and has patterns similar to Great Zimbabwe Ruins.
She urged researchers to assess the place and establish information, that can assist them in tracing its origins.
Mrs Sibanda also said youths and women have an opportunity in the tourism value chain with the district exploring culture tourism, gastronomy and wildlife.
She said the initiative to empower youths and women is meant to fight social issues like drug and substance abuse among youths and domestic violence associated with poor livelihoods.
“We are doing this so that women can be economically empowered. We have women who are already producing different arts and crafts products. We, therefore, want to establish a cultural centre so that women can display their crafts,” said Mrs Sibanda.
Zimbabwe’s tourism sector has surpassed agriculture and mining as the top contributors to the country’s Gross Domestic Product after arrivals increased by over 80 percent in the first half of this year.
Speaking at the inaugural Scholastic Tourism Conference at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Barbara Rwodzi, said the tourism sector contributes 12 percent to the GDP. — chroncile
