Online Reporter
Fidelis Munyoro in QUINDAO, China
Zimbabweans have been urged to take pride in domestic tourism as a foundation for national security and national development.
Speaking during a tour of Qingdao City’s tourism and heritage sites this week, Police Commissioner Taonei Nyazema said Zimbabwe should draw lessons from China’s example of promoting local travel.
Commissioner Nyazema is leading a Zimbabwean delegation of security and judicial officers on a study tour in China.
The delegation arrived in Qingdao, Shandong Province, from Shenyang on Friday for a three-day programme. Their last stop is Beijing en route home.
“We learnt that the Chinese people have pride and confidence in their domestic tourism,” Commissioner Nyazema said.
“As you can see by the number of local Chinese that are visiting this place, it is a lesson for Zimbabweans to also visit our tourist destinations in large numbers.
“This will also enhance our understanding of our history and heritage. The Chinese are proud of their heritage and their efforts in protecting it. Likewise, Zimbabweans may learn and live from this experience.”
The delegation toured the Tsingtao Beer Museum, the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre, May Fourth Square, the Site Museum of the Former German Governor’s Residence, and the Badaguan Scenic Area.
They also experienced the city’s engineering feats, travelling through an 8km undersea tunnel and along a 62km sea bridge.
Commissioner Nyazema said experiencing another country’s heritage underscored the link between tourism, patriotism and stability.
“Domestic tourism is a foundation for national security, a foundation for national development,” he said.
“As we discuss various tourist destinations, the history and heritage of Zimbabwe, I ask: how many sites did you visit in Zimbabwe? I visited more than five sites, which was very educational and informative, especially on cultural and heritage sites.”
He challenged the officers and citizens back home to become ambassadors for local destinations.
“So, from what you have learned here, what are you taking home? We are going to market this. Let us promote the tourist sites strewn around Zimbabwe,” Commissioner Nyazema said.
The Qingdao tour forms part of exchanges designed to facilitate direct engagement between Zimbabwe and Chinese officers on common security challenges, including cyber threats, organised crime and public security management.
Cultural activities, including Chinese calligraphy and traditional tea ceremonies, had also been incorporated into the programme to foster broader people-to-people engagement alongside professional exchanges.
The two-week training of security and judicial officers in China, which ended last week, was part of an expanded framework for Zimbabwe-China cooperation following the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2024.
The partnership was formalised through a joint statement committing both governments to deepen cooperation in policing and judicial matters
