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Oliver Kazunga–Senior Business Reporter
THE United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has agreed to establish an academy in Victoria Falls to provide culinary skills training to students from Africa.
The academy to be established in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe’s prime tourism destination, would be known as the Africa International Tourism Academy for Culinary Arts.
Tourism is one of Zimbabwe’s fastest-growing and strategic economic sectors expected to drive the country’s economic turnaround in the short, medium and long term.
The Government has made significant strides in implementing the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy that seeks to grow the tourism economy to US$5 billion by next year.
The strategy is anchored on Zimbabwe’s vision to become a prime international tourist destination based on the judicious and sustainable exploitation of the unique assets of nature, culture, heritage and the built environment.
The strategy is informed by the Government’s Vision 2030 to become an upper middle-income society characterised by increased investment, decent jobs and a populace free from poverty and corruption.
UNWTO said in a statement that with African tourism experiencing significant growth, there was urgent need to train a wide range of skilled professionals equipped with the skills the modern tourism businesses needed.
“UN tourism has also agreed to establish the Africa International Tourism Academy for Culinary Arts.
“The specialist centre will be hosted in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and focus on training skilled professionals in culinary arts both within the country and right across Africa,” said UNWTO.
Commenting on the development, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said: “We are excited to be working closely with UN Tourism to grow gastronomy tourism in our country and across the wider region.
“The new academy, in collaboration with UN Tourism, signals our shared commitment to empowering tourism workers within the field of culinary arts, putting Zimbabwe firmly on the global gastronomy map.”
Meanwhile, the UNWTO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Tourism of Zambia to establish the Zambia Institute for Tourism and Hospitality Studies.
The academy will offer a range of courses, all focused on equipping students both new to the sector and establishing tourism workers the skills they need to find work or advance in their careers.
UNWTO secretary-general Mr Zurab Pololikashvili was quoted as saying: “Africa’s tourism sector is growing and diversifying at a tremendous rate.
“These new academies, in collaboration with UNWTO, will help train the tourism workers of tomorrow in a range of specialisms, giving African tourism the talent it needs to thrive.”
Zambia Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba said through the adoption of the UN Tourism Education Guidelines, Zambia has been able to reposition the role of education in tourism development.
“The establishment of the academy is a game changer of how we will bridge the evident skills gap for the existing and future workforce of our tourism sector,” he said.
Online Reporter