Victoria Falls to host Italian Cuisine week

AS destination Victoria Falls continues to attract tourists from across the globe and showcase local foods, the Victoria Falls Hotel will this month host the first ever Italian Cuisine week.

The activity, which cements the destination as a place to visit for the Italians, will be cohosted by The Victoria Falls Hotel and Italian Embassy.

The cuisine week will take place between 22 and 25 this month.

In a statement, the organisers said the event will see Chefs and wine stewards in Victoria Falls getting rare training from international certified Michelin Chefs and wine makers.

“The Victoria Falls Hotel and The Italian Embassy will host the first Italian cuisine week at The Vic Falls Hotel from 22 to 25 November through the Italian Embassy.

This will be followed by a fashion show and design workshops from the global ambassador for Versace a former top model for the same fashion giant,” read the statement.

The event will be a week of cultural and skills exchange for the local hospitality industry with emphasis on how local ingredients and materials can be infused for the world market and visitors, as the country continues to invest in gastronomy tourism.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has been promoting Gastronomy Tourism locally and internationally and global personality Carla Hall recently said the country has huge potential to benefit from showcasing local cuisines to the travelling world.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe has been encouraging the hospitality industry players to leverage on the new type of tourism to rigorously market the destination.

The country especially Victoria Falls sometimes hosts groups of tourists from certain nationalities and it is the food that sometimes draws them to destination Zimbabwe.

Victoria Falls Hotel general manager Mr Farai Chimba who is also HAZ national chair said the cuisine week comes in the wake of previous other events.

These include the world artistes, Wine Grand Tastings which saw wine makers from South Africa treat wine lovers over a weekend to products from their wine estates and others.

“Bringing such an event to the destination underscores the role played by The Victoria Falls Hotel which turns 120 years next year and has been the focal point of tourism development in the Victoria Falls for more than a century,” said Mr Chimba.

The event dovetails well with the national drive to promote meetings, incentives, conferences and incentives.-chronicle