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Bulawayo Bureau
TOURISM and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Tongai Mnangagwa says young people must play a leading role in driving township tourism, which remains an untapped market with potential to significantly enhance and increase the sector’s revenue.
In 2012, the township tourism concept was initiated but few players dared to grab the opportunity and offer such a service.
Players in the sector say when managed well, township tourism can bring positive results and promote sustainable development in marginalised areas.
Zimbabwe can as well adopt the concept of and realise benefits that will grow the economy.
Township tourism refers to the activity of visiting and discovering the historically marginalised urban districts, commonly known as townships.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Tongai Mnangagwa, who visited Bulawayo recently, noted that some township centres have vast untapped areas that can benefit the sector if fully exploited.
He stressed the need to re-invent township tourism saying the country can mix models implemented by regional countries and local ones.
“Township tourism is an uncharted territory for us. We need to identify who can lead various tourism clusters. Zimbabweans are all over the world and are so experienced and that’s what we want,” said the Deputy Minister.
“President Mnangagwa is saying come back home and implement all that you have learnt. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, come to us and say, South Africa is doing this, come with that knowledge and see what we can implement here.
“We went to a place called Maboneng in Bulawayo, a place that was properly done and you can experience your Soweto in South Africa.”
Tourism Permanent Secretary, Dr Takaruza Munyanyiwa, said the process of transferring national monuments from the home affairs portfolio to his ministry is underway.
“We want an open access model for these special facilities that have been designated as national monuments but are not accessible now. Currently, the monuments are under home affairs and there is a process to transfer them to the tourism ministry. When it’s done, we will be able to market the places,” he said.
In Bulawayo, some national monuments are located along Bulawayo’s urban heritage corridor, which was launched by President Mnangagwa in June 2021.
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The heritage corridor also includes Inxwala Grounds, Dr Joshua Nkomo’s Statue and the Natural History Museum, and the Hanging Tree. The heritage corridor is a walking and driving route in urban and rural areas relating to cultural heritage. Also Makokoba suburb possesses much history that can be turned into gold for tourism.
Township tourism emerged in the 90s in the metropolitan cities of developing countries where tourists were encouraged to visit the disadvantaged areas of the cities and see how the local people lived.
They became popular in Brazil, India and South Africa where they are packaged as authentic, interactive and educational in nature. Culture is the dominant attraction of township tourism.
Government took a keen interest in the innovative concept with tourism being recognised as a key driver of the economy in Zimbabwe. It has been targeted as strategic in the country’s drive for economic growth and development.
In Zimbabwe, the tourism sector is considered one of the economic mainstays and is expected to drive the country’s economic turnaround.
In August 2020, President Mnangagwa launched the tourism growth plan as he led the restart of the sector’s contribution to the national economy after having been heavily crippled by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy is anchored on Zimbabwe’s vision to be 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 economy characterised by increased investment, decent jobs, and a populace free from poverty and corruption.
Online Reporter