Tourism promotes Zim economy, regional and global peace

Tourism clusterisation has the potential to boost Zimbabwean economy by the year 2025 whilst concurrently complementing regional and global peace, Minister Barbara Rwodzi has said during the occasion of World Tourism Day main celebrations in Gokwe Gandavaroyi this Friday.

In a speech read on her behalf by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Tongai Mafidi Mnangagwa, Rwodzi claimed that through cultural exchange, avoiding stereotyping and genuine engagement; tourism reduce the causes of conflicts.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as this year’s theme indicates, we cannot afford to ignore the role tourism plays in the promotion of regional and global peace. For years enumerable, tourism has facilitated people-to-people diplomacy, allowing individuals from different cultures to interact and understand each other's perspectives," Mnangagwa said.

"Tourism in nature promotes cultural exchange, helping forge interaction between individuals, communities and societies. This gathering is a plethora of people from different walks of lives, cultures and beliefs, but we have been brought together under one common denominator, which is tourism thereby promoting peace and tolerance amongst ourselves," Mnangagwa added.

"This day marks the hallmark of our Tourism month as we commemorate the immense contribution of tourism to the global economy and its pivotal role in promoting global peace and stability," Mnangagwa added.

"Tourism promotes cultural understanding, breaking stereotypes and misconceptions through personal experiences. It has the potential to generate income and creates jobs, the resultant effect being a reduction in poverty and inequality, primary cause of conflicts," Mnangagwa said.

"Additionally, tourism supports community development projects which lead to promoting peace and stability amongst communities. Community Based Tourism initiatives have been key in the promotion of community integration and stability," Mnangagwa remarks.

Tourism has been identified as one of the sectors that encourages regional cooperation, thereby promoting regional peace.

Since its inception, the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has signed various memorandum of understanding with different countries including the SADC region and beyond, focusing mainly on areas of technical cooperation with regards to tourism development thereby, fostering regional cooperation to ensure peaceful trade and relations.

Additionally, Zimbabwe has hosted the first ever UN Gastronomy Tourism Forum which brought together countries from the region and beyond towards one common goal, and towards regional and global peace.

Meanwhile, the tourism industry has been clustered as part of a broader strategy towards achieving a US$ 5 billion Tourism Economy by 2025.

"The clusterisation of the tourism industry will bring a more focused approach on each cluster as a way of repositioning the tourism sector in Zimbabwe," Mnangagwa said.

"The clusters include the rural tourism, sports tourism, religious tourism, culture and heritage tourism, wildlife tourism, holidaying and recreation, medical tourism, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE), Diplomats and Expatriates and Study tourism among others," he added.

Each cluster has its own development plan and strategic initiatives are being put in place to support growth.

The Culture and Heritage cluster as well as the religious tourism cluster augurs well with this year’s theme of Tourism and Peace.

Celebration of culture and heritage allows people to come together and appreciate one another thereby eradicating conflict amongst communities and societies.

Zimbabwe annually joins the rest of the world in celebrating World Tourism Day, on 27 September. The day was set aside by the United Nations Tourism to commemorate the critical role tourism play towards the growth of nations.

As a country, Zimbabwe declared the month of September as the Tourism Month characterised by a number of events leading to this day, 27th of September where the country had the main celebrations.

Several activities were lined-up as precursor events namely; the launch of the Tourism Month which was done on the 1st of September 2024, Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo which was held from 11 to the 14th of September, Tourism Symposium which was held on 19 September at Lupane State University, and the Sports Tourism on 21st September at Kabuyuni Primary School in Kabuyuni Constituency.

The whole world also celebrated this day in their respective countries and the Host Country this year is Georgia.

The hosting of the World Tourism Day main celebrations in Zimbabwe is done on rotational basis by Provinces and last year it was celebrated in Mashonaland East Province at Suskwe Resorts.