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Cletus Mushanawani in Nyanga
VISITING Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi arrived in Nyanga yesterday ahead of his visit to tourist sites and trout farms in the area today.
President Masisi was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Neo Jane Masisi and Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
He becomes the first foreign President to visit the Eastern Highlands, thereby endorsing the area as a prime tourism destination.
His guided tour, which will be facilitated by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, will see him visiting Nyanga National Park, Nyanga Trout Farm and the highest waterfall in Zimbabwe, Mutarazi Falls.
In an interview on the sidelines of President Masisi’s arrival, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive, Mrs Winnie Muchanyuka, described the visit as historic and heart warming.
“The visit to the Eastern Highlands by His Excellency, President Masisi has come at time when Zimbabwe is looking forward to high level delegates coming through to the country,” she said. “It endorses the country as a tourism destination.
“His visit is exciting to us as players in the tourism industry moreso coming to the hidden gem that is the Eastern Highlands.
“A lot of visitors who usually come to Zimbabwe will go to the majestic Victoria Falls. So to have the destination Eastern Highlands being endorsed by such a high level delegation is really heart-warming to us in the tourism industry.
“We look forward to more delegates from the region to take a cue from President Masisi and come to visit hidden gems like Eastern Highlands. We are quite excited to be taking President Masisi to World View, Trout Farm, National Park and Mutarazi Falls tomorrow (today).”
Nyanga is one of the leading tourist attractions in the country and has suffered from lack of aggressive marketing in the past.
President Masisi, who arrived in the country on Thursday, is on a three-day State visit which included officially opening the Zimbabwe Agriculture Show in Harare yesterday.
Online Reporter