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Tendai Rupapa in PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic
TOURISM patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, who received a special invitation from UN Tourism and the government of the Dominican Republic for the inaugural UN Tourism Africa and Americas Summit, got a courtesy call from the country’s tourism minister, Mr David Collado, and held high-level discussions on the burgeoning industry.
Dr Mnangagwa has held her role as Zimbabwe’s tourism patron with distinction, spearheading various initiatives, including gastronomy tourism, which saw her being privileged to host the first UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa. This was in recognition of her efforts to promote gastronomy tourism from the grassroots level.
The mother of the nation, who has vast experience in the tourism and hospitality sector, shared notes with Mr Collado on a wide range of subjects, including the prospects for exchange programmes between Zimbabwe and the Dominican Republic.
Mr Collado gave an overview of his country’s tourism sector, which he described as the oil that kept the economy running.
“Here in our country we have taken tourism as the principal industry of our economy. Tourism represents 30 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) of our country, creating more than one million jobs directly and indirectly and in the year 2021 to 2023, it represented more than 40 percent of the percentage allocated to the growth of the economy,” he said.
He added: “After the (Covid-19) pandemic it was tourism, the pillar that supported our country. While the whole world was closing its doors and its borders, the Dominican Republic decided unilaterally to open its borders with responsibility and this did not affect the health of the country.
“For us, tourism is not having fun and going to the beach. Our oil is tourism, so this UN Tourism summit is very symbolic for us and even more than it is with the African continent with which we have cultural ties that are as so important. Most tourism investments are being made today with friends from the African continent,” he said.
In response, Dr Mnangagwa paid tribute to the host nation for the warm reception she and her delegation received.
“We are developing countries and we need to help each other through exchange programmes and to promote our tourist destinations. In Zimbabwe, tourism now is the biggest contributor to the gross domestic product and it has also created jobs for our youths and women,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa explained that because of the El Niño phenomenon, which resulted in insignificant rainfall, the country’s agriculture and mining sectors were grossly affected, leaving tourism to sustain the economy.
“We were also hit by the El Niño phenomenon and we are looking forward to tourism to resuscitate our economy. So, the exchange programme between this country and Zimbabwe will help us sell our destinations and resort areas,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa is leaving an indelible footprint in the tourism sector as she continually comes up with economically beneficial projects that have ushered in growth.
She has also spearheaded the introduction of the national dress, giving Zimbabweans an opportunity to shine in their unique cultural identity while consuming their indigenous dishes, which are highly nutritious and have medicinal properties.
Online Reporter