Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe [email protected]
Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Tourism Strategy is gaining momentum, with the Budula Festival in Boli, Chiredzi South, emerging as a model for using culture and traditions to drive tourism development, community empowerment and sustainable livelihoods.
Held under the theme “Nhaka Yedu, Ilifa Lethu, Our Heritage, This Is Us”, the festival celebrated the country’s rich cultural heritage, wildlife, people and natural resources as key tourism assets.
The event, which featured the traditional Chibhelani Dance of the Shangani people, showcased how local communities are leveraging their cultural heritage to create tourism opportunities and attract visitors.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi, who was the guest of honour said culture remains a powerful catalyst for inclusive tourism development and community empowerment.
She commended President Mnangagwa for championing community development through tourism and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to unlocking the full potential of heritage-based tourism through a whole-of-government approach.
Minister Rwodzi said the Budula Festival had become a shining example of community-driven tourism development.
“Budula Festival has become a model of Community-Based Tourism, promoting Entertainment Tourism, Gastronomy, Conservation and Biodiversity while creating Tourism Entrepreneurship opportunities for local communities, including 48 Tourism Homesteads, thereby transforming Culture into Sustainable Livelihoods and memorable Tourist experiences,” she said.
The minister also paid tribute to First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, the Patron of Tourism and Hospitality for championing culture, gastronomy and indigenous knowledge systems.
Her initiatives have received international recognition, including commendation from UNESCO for promoting and preserving Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage.
Minister Rwodzi urged communities across the country to embrace tourism entrepreneurship and showcase authentic cultural experiences and indigenous gastronomy to attract both domestic and international tourists, in line with Zimbabwe’s drive to grow heritage-based tourism and rural economies.
