admincontribution to conservative tourism in Zimbabwe.
Mr Stockil is actively involved in the Save Valley Conservancy, which has been evaluating land use and sustained production of natural resources in the marginal rainfall areas of South-East Zimbabwe.
The French National Order of Merit is an award given to individuals bestowed with outstanding military or civil virtues.
The proposal for the award was made by the French Embassy in Zimbabwe. In receiving the award, Mr Stockil urged the international community to view Zimbabwe as a critical element in the global tourism matrix.
“I call on the international community to review their policy on Zimbabwe as a tourist destination.
“Tourism provides the necessary funding to meet the costs of maintaining these valuable conservative areas, the survival of these unique ecosystems and the wildlife that live within should not be seen only as national assets but ultimately must be recognised as global assets.
“When the last wilderness disappears or the last rhino is butchered for its horn, this will be a loss to the entire world,” he said.
He also called for the country to improve on engagement with external tourism operators and international airliners so as to enhance its tourist destinations’ visibility and accessibility.
This, he said, especially applies to the local conservation tourism destinations. The Save Valley Conservancy presently covers an area of 3 400 square kilometres and is one of the most successful conservancies in the country.
Its main achievement is arguably the protection of endangered species from extinction, particularly the black rhino and the painted dog.
Mr Stockil also played a critical role as a mediator in resolving the conflict between the Shangaanis and the National Parks Authority in the early eighties.
The success of this particular mediation resulted in the establishment of the Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire), which seeks to empower rural communities
for conservation and sustainable development through a number of different activities, in particular harvesting of natural resources.
Campfire helps to manage wildlife in these conservation areas, sometimes overpopulation resulting in profit being generated for the local communities.
Zimbabwe tourism’s unique selling point in addition to the Victoria Falls and the Great Zimbabwe is the wilderness areas and the diverse wildlife in their natural habitats in these areas, and effective promotion of these can drive the sector’s overall growth and contribution to national Gross Domestic Product.
Online Reporter