News / Africa
Walter Mzembi crowned African Tourism Minister of the Year
23 Feb 2011 at 02:49hrs | Views
Walter Mzembi, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Zimbabwe, was crowned the African Tourism Minister of the Year at the Africa investor Tourism Investment Awards in South Africa.
The Africa investor Tourism Investment Awards which coincided with the Ai Tourism and Infrastructure Investment Summit ran from the 21st -22nd of February 2011, at the Mdluli Conference Centre, Skukuza Camp, Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The Summit is regarded as the international calendar tourism investment event for Africa and brings together tourism ministers, mayors, tourism and infrastructure project promoters, and private and institutional investors with interests in Africa. The previous edition of the summit was held in Harare in 2010. Zambia's Minister of Tourism, Hon. Catherine Namugala won the prestigious award in 2010.
At the prestigious Africa investor Tourism Investment Awards, held in Mpumalanga, Minister Mzembi was shortlisted in a highly competitive category, which included Ministers from Zambia, Kenya, Namibia, Morocco, Uganda, South Africa, Angola and Mozambique as nominees.
Africa investor is a specialist investment communications firm advising governments, international organisations and businesses on communication strategies for capital markets and foreign direct investments in Africa. Africa investor publishes Africa investor, the leading international newsstand magazine for Africa's investment decision makers; maintains the Africa investor 40 Investors' Index, hosts the Ai index Series Summit & Awards and the Africa investor Infrastructure Projects Summit & Awards amongst other events.
The Africa investor awards were created to showcase Africa's opportunities and achievements in the tourism sector to the global investment community. They are designed to collectively raise awareness about Africa as a tourism investment destination and reward groups and individuals developing the African tourism industry as a vehicle to drive sustainable economic growth. The African Minister of the Year award in particular is awarded to a Minister who has excelled in driving development of the tourism industry in his country in a distinctive manner.
In his acceptance speech, the Honourable Minister said "The award that we have received today, that of African Minister of Tourism of the Year is a fitting tribute to my President, His Excellency President Robert Mugabe for his wisdom in creating a separate Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and positioning it as one of the four pillars anchoring economic recovery in Zimbabwe in successive economic blueprints since 2009. His solomonic wisdom in doing so has been vindicated by this prestigious award that we have received today.
"This award is also a befitting endorsement of the Zimbabwe brand, aptly captured in our brand pay-off line: "Zimbabwe - a World of Wonders", which we launched last year. It is also a welcome addition to the various accolades and recognitions that we continue to receive. Zimbabwe is currently in the cockpit of both regional and international tourism; we currently chair the Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) through my Permanent Secretary, Dr Silvester Maunganidze and also sit together with South Africa on the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council on behalf of Southern Africa. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has also endorsed our efforts in growing tourism in Zimbabwe by indicating that we are the fastest growing tourism economy by GDP after China and growing at an annualized rate of 8.2% per annum for the next decade 2010 to 2020.
"Hopefully this award should send a statement to our National Planners to begin to prioritize tourism, a sector that in 2010 earned just below US 1 billion in tourism receipts and attracted 2.2 million tourist arrivals against a background of low investment per dollar by Central Government. It's unfortunate we are in the group of death in terms of funding by the fiscal authorities and as Africa recognizes our resilience to build the sector against all odds, the signals should read as a wakeup call for more resources to be put in place to support this sector. You will also be aware that by its very nature, tourism is a cross cutting industry which relies on the performance of various other sectors of the economy which are enablers of growth in the tourism sector. We as tourism are the end product and our core business is to package and sell Zimbabwe.
"As Zimbabwe, we are also grateful that after the last Ai Tourism and Infrastructure Investment conference held in Harare in 2010, I can safely say that our major tourism players such as Africansun, Rainbow Tourism Group and Meikles Africa Group have benefitted from new funding that has been made available to them through opportunities opened up after the conference. Equally, I am driving a new Government-led and private sector driven thrust to mobilise infrastructural investment through Public Private Partnerships in a bid to grow the tourism industry."
The Minister in particular was recognized for his vision, and tireless investor engagement programs, a robust international re-engagement program and ongoing efforts at home to boost and grow domestic tourism as a cradle on which international tourism will grow. The Minister has also spearheaded a regional integration plan for SADC through Zimbabwe's chairmanship of the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA). Prior to Zimbabwe's chairmanship the organisation's visibility had paled into insignificance. The Minister is also credited with visionary leadership and direction for the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, a parastatal under his supervision which is also making significant gains in luring the traditional European and American markets back to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe recently successfully launched a new tourism brand, 'Zimbabwe - a World of Wonders'. Minister Mzembi has gone on a drive to launch and popularise the brand at home and in major source markets of the world where it has been well received. With such recognition, the engines of tourism are already in motion and Zimbabwe is set to regain its place as a leading tourism destination.
The Africa investor Tourism Investment Awards which coincided with the Ai Tourism and Infrastructure Investment Summit ran from the 21st -22nd of February 2011, at the Mdluli Conference Centre, Skukuza Camp, Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The Summit is regarded as the international calendar tourism investment event for Africa and brings together tourism ministers, mayors, tourism and infrastructure project promoters, and private and institutional investors with interests in Africa. The previous edition of the summit was held in Harare in 2010. Zambia's Minister of Tourism, Hon. Catherine Namugala won the prestigious award in 2010.
At the prestigious Africa investor Tourism Investment Awards, held in Mpumalanga, Minister Mzembi was shortlisted in a highly competitive category, which included Ministers from Zambia, Kenya, Namibia, Morocco, Uganda, South Africa, Angola and Mozambique as nominees.
Africa investor is a specialist investment communications firm advising governments, international organisations and businesses on communication strategies for capital markets and foreign direct investments in Africa. Africa investor publishes Africa investor, the leading international newsstand magazine for Africa's investment decision makers; maintains the Africa investor 40 Investors' Index, hosts the Ai index Series Summit & Awards and the Africa investor Infrastructure Projects Summit & Awards amongst other events.
The Africa investor awards were created to showcase Africa's opportunities and achievements in the tourism sector to the global investment community. They are designed to collectively raise awareness about Africa as a tourism investment destination and reward groups and individuals developing the African tourism industry as a vehicle to drive sustainable economic growth. The African Minister of the Year award in particular is awarded to a Minister who has excelled in driving development of the tourism industry in his country in a distinctive manner.
"This award is also a befitting endorsement of the Zimbabwe brand, aptly captured in our brand pay-off line: "Zimbabwe - a World of Wonders", which we launched last year. It is also a welcome addition to the various accolades and recognitions that we continue to receive. Zimbabwe is currently in the cockpit of both regional and international tourism; we currently chair the Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) through my Permanent Secretary, Dr Silvester Maunganidze and also sit together with South Africa on the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council on behalf of Southern Africa. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has also endorsed our efforts in growing tourism in Zimbabwe by indicating that we are the fastest growing tourism economy by GDP after China and growing at an annualized rate of 8.2% per annum for the next decade 2010 to 2020.
"Hopefully this award should send a statement to our National Planners to begin to prioritize tourism, a sector that in 2010 earned just below US 1 billion in tourism receipts and attracted 2.2 million tourist arrivals against a background of low investment per dollar by Central Government. It's unfortunate we are in the group of death in terms of funding by the fiscal authorities and as Africa recognizes our resilience to build the sector against all odds, the signals should read as a wakeup call for more resources to be put in place to support this sector. You will also be aware that by its very nature, tourism is a cross cutting industry which relies on the performance of various other sectors of the economy which are enablers of growth in the tourism sector. We as tourism are the end product and our core business is to package and sell Zimbabwe.
"As Zimbabwe, we are also grateful that after the last Ai Tourism and Infrastructure Investment conference held in Harare in 2010, I can safely say that our major tourism players such as Africansun, Rainbow Tourism Group and Meikles Africa Group have benefitted from new funding that has been made available to them through opportunities opened up after the conference. Equally, I am driving a new Government-led and private sector driven thrust to mobilise infrastructural investment through Public Private Partnerships in a bid to grow the tourism industry."
The Minister in particular was recognized for his vision, and tireless investor engagement programs, a robust international re-engagement program and ongoing efforts at home to boost and grow domestic tourism as a cradle on which international tourism will grow. The Minister has also spearheaded a regional integration plan for SADC through Zimbabwe's chairmanship of the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA). Prior to Zimbabwe's chairmanship the organisation's visibility had paled into insignificance. The Minister is also credited with visionary leadership and direction for the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, a parastatal under his supervision which is also making significant gains in luring the traditional European and American markets back to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe recently successfully launched a new tourism brand, 'Zimbabwe - a World of Wonders'. Minister Mzembi has gone on a drive to launch and popularise the brand at home and in major source markets of the world where it has been well received. With such recognition, the engines of tourism are already in motion and Zimbabwe is set to regain its place as a leading tourism destination.
Source - Byo24NEWS
