THE Heritage Village will roll out the red carpet tonight to welcome regional leaders, policymakers and business executives attending the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit.
The high-level gathering, running from October 19 to 22 under the theme “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA”, shifts its focus to cultural diplomacy tonight with the hosting of the COMESA Tourism Night.
The event is designed to celebrate Africa’s diverse heritage while putting Zimbabwe’s premier tourism and hospitality sectors on display for visiting dignitaries.
Developed by the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK)—the thinktank steering the Museum of African Liberation—Heritage Village serves as an Afrocentric hub bridging cultural preservation with corporate and leisure gatherings.
INSTAK chief executive officer Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi expressed deep pride in hosting the regional delegation, emphasising the intrinsic connection between cultural identity and economic cooperation.
“We are delighted to welcome our COMESA brothers and sisters to Heritage Village as Zimbabwe opens its doors to the region,” Ambassador Muzawazi stated.
“Tourism, and indeed Heritage Village, allows people to encounter one’s cultures, appreciate our heritage and discover the many experiences our continent has to offer. We want our guests to experience Zimbabwe not only as a host of important regional meetings, but also as a destination of culture, hospitality and opportunity.”
Beyond cultural exchange, organisers underscored the strategic economic imperative of tourism within the broader COMESA integration agenda.
Ambassador Muzawazi noted that a thriving tourism sector acts as a powerful catalyst for growth, rippling across transport, agriculture, creative industries, small-scale enterprises and job creation.
“Our regional integration agenda must also recognise the value of tourism as a driver of inclusive economic development,” he added.
As part of the expansive Liberation City master plan, Heritage Village and the Museum of African Liberation form a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s national strategy to preserve the continent’s liberation history while aggressively driving towards its vision of becoming a leading regional tourism destination and an upper middle-income society by 2030.
Tonight’s festivities seamlessly bridge high-level regional diplomacy with grassroots cultural pride, setting a collaborative tone for the remainder of the week’s economic deliberations.
