Victoria Falls to host food and culture conference

VICTORIA Falls, the country’s prime tourism destination, is set to host the inaugural United Nations (UN) Tourism Africa Gastronomy Conference as the city continues to attract visitors from across the world of travel and business tourism leveraging on new developments in facilities and products.

Several hotel facilities, which are being constructed in the resort city, are expected to help reduce the country’s room deficiency which currently stands at over 2 500.

Besides the construction of new hotels and upgrading existing facilities, the tourism industry has been busy modernising some tourism activities and adding new products, including gastronomy tourism.

United States celebrity chef and television personality, Ms Carla Hall visited Victoria Falls in September last year and expressed satisfaction with Zimbabwe’s traditional meals.

She was convinced that with enhanced marketing, food could propel the country’s tourism higher.

She was charmed by local traditional foods such as amacimbi (mopane worms), baobab fruit, greens and other indigenous foods such as isitshwala which she believes, if promoted, can sell the Zimbabwe tourism brand.

Posting on her official X page, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said Zimbabwe has won the bid to host the inaugural

United Nations Tourism Africa Gastronomy Conference in Victoria Falls.

The dates for the conference are not yet out. Minister Rwodzi posted after meeting the UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in Madrid, Spain on the sidelines of the Fitur 2024.

The Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness (CTC) of UN Tourism defines Gastronomy Tourism as a type of tourism activity that is characterised by the visitor’s experience linked with food and related products and activities while travelling.

“A fruitful meeting today with the UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and his team, the first-ever UN Tourism Africa Gastronomy Conference is coming home to the Zimbabwe Tourism City, Victoria Falls,” she posted.

“We appreciate the UN Tourism team for considering Zimbabwe among other initiatives they are implementing in many countries across the globe.

May our Faithful Lord Bless our Zimbabwe, impossible is nothing. Brick by brick, stone upon stone.”–@ncubeleon