Government declares Zimbabwe a Tourism Zone

The State controlled broadcaster, ZBC, has reported that the government has declared the country a tourism zone, in a move aimed at ensuring that all tourist attractions throughout the country receive more exposure and adequate resources to enable them to realise their full potential as prime tourist destinations.

The development comes just a few weeks after tour operators in Binga called on government to channel more resources to the district to enable it to realise its full potential of becoming a prime tourist destination.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Dr. Sylvester Maunganidze, said there are many attractions around the country that have never been exposed to the outside world with a potential of becoming prime tourist destinations, adding that the decision will see government conferences being shifted from traditional venues such as Harare and Victoria Falls to other centres around the country.

"We will no longer have as many conferences here or in Harare," said Dr. Maunganidze, "because our visitors need to see that Zimbabwe is not only about Victoria Falls, but there are other places as well and those are the areas we will be focusing on," he added.

Dr. Maunganidze further explained that the new development will see the tourism sector generating revenue from other centres around the country, adding that the next SADC Meeting on Tourism is set to be held in Bulawayo from the 18th to the 26th of this month.

Meanwhile, government has also identified land for the construction of a Convention Centre in the resort town of Victoria Falls which will be used as the venue for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly to be held in October 2013.