09/02/12, 20:11:19 EST

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Zimbabwe: Nyanga Gets Top Priority to Develop Tourism Masterplan

allafrica.com

NYANGA has been given high priority in developing a regional tourism business development masterplan which will facilitate tourism investment.

Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Andrew Langa, at the official launch of the World Tourism Week in Nyanga, the director of tourism, Mrs Enivah Mutsau, said the plan would guide and facilitate tourism investment and the development of Nyanga as a tourist resort area.

"Such a plan will facilitate tourism investment as well as the development of Nyanga as a tourist resort," said Mrs Mutsau.

She added that while it was the Government's strategic thrust to promote all the country's resort areas, it was a strategic necessity for the regions themselves to compete for tourists and for tourism investments.

In addition to that she applauded the participation of women in the World Tourism Day activities, a move which she said would empower women.

"Nyanga and the rest of the Eastern Highlands is blessed with women who are already leading beacons in the development of this region as a tourist resort, among them Minister of Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development Ms Oppah Muchinguri," she added.

In line with this year's theme -- "Tourism Opens Doors for Women" -- she said: "The United Nations World Tourism Organisation and United Nations Development Fund for Women have joined hands in promoting the empowerment of women through tourism."

She added that experience at international and national level showed that for every economy, there is no real social and economic development if women are not active participants in the programmes of that economy.

Government was making efforts to ensure that women were equal partners in the sustainable utilisation of natural resources and the exploitation of tourism opportunities, she added.

Mrs Mutsau urged Nyanga Publicity Association to work closely with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the local authorities to create structures that would enable tourism participation by women in this region.

Speaking on the same occasion, the Member of Parliament for Nyanga, Mr Paul Kadzima, revealed that it was high time all stakeholders in the tourism sector to work together to make Nyanga a destination for tourists and earn the country the much-needed foreign currency.

"Apart from efforts of the Nyanga Tourism Association, we are appealing for corporate citizens to play a more active role in the tourism activities of Nyanga.

"Let's use tourism as a tool for poverty alleviation and, of course, as a tool for sustainable economic development," added Mr Kadzima.

Nyanga is one of the most popular tourist regions in the country.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe administrator Mrs Violet Rukande said that players in the hospitality industry should also put in place reasonable packages for local people.

"We should not only focus on foreign tourists but we have to set local packages for our local people, so the World Tourism Week is platform for hoteliers to set both local and foreign tourists.

"We want local people to use our facilities," said Mrs Rukande.

 Printable Version  | published Sep 25, 2007