Finally, it’s here!

THE 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism General Assembly officially begins at the weekend in Victoria Falls amid high expectations the event will transform domestic tourism and the economy. Co-hosts Zimbabwe and Zambia will enter the annuls of history as only the second hosts on the continent ever to stage the event from tomorrow to August 29, 2013 after Senegal first hosted the general assembly in 2005.

The two countries will co-host the event in Victoria Falls and Livingstone, the local resort’s tourism bed fellow across the mighty Zambezi River.

Private sector players have rallied behind outgoing Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi’s assertion on Monday that preparations for a successful UNWTO General Assembly were “all systems go”.

The beauty of this event lies in the potential benefits the economy stands to reap from the successful hosting of the global tourism event.
Minister Mzembi said almost everything was now in place including the two-storey building built at the conference venue, the Elephant Hills Hotel.

What initially seemed a pipe-dream has mutated into a huge reality that has given the country reason to believe once again that despite Western vilification over the years Zimbabwe can still stand tall and proud.

While the country’s tourism seemed on a rebound over the years after a decade of down-slide due to negative Western publicity, the UNWTO General Assembly is expected to further tip the scales in Zimbabwe’s favour.

Zimbabwe and Zambia have the backing of Sadc, which in a communiqué after last week’s summit in Malawi, urged members to participate in the event.

“Summit urged member states to participate fully in the 20th UNWTO General Assembly to be co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe in Livingstone and Victoria Falls during the last week of August, 2013”, Sadc said.