Insiza tourist attractions set for upgrade

NESTLED on the picturesque landscapes and rich mineral deposits of Matebeleland South, Insiza District will soon be etched as one of the country's most sought-after tourist hubs as envisioned by the local authority.

Plans are underway to develop tourist attractions in the district that are expected to boost the provincial economy and contribute to the national fiscus.

Insiza Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Shepherd Tshuma said they were seeking to combine social tourism with the tourist attractions that will be developed in the area.

"Our major attraction will be Mayfair Dam, which will be located inside a recreational park and will appeal to a lot of tourists. Our vision as a district is to combine social tourism and those tourist attractions available at Mayfair Dam and join them to Jabulani Safaris in Shangani and eventually to Shangani Business Centre and then to Gweru," said Mr Tshuma.

He said the tourist attractions would be developed together with the cultural tourism in the Godlwayo Communal Lands.

"We will develop the road that links Filabusi into Mayfair Dam so that people can enjoy attractions there such as game viewing, boating, and fishing. We will also develop a 100-bed hotel on an island that will be a provincial hub with conference facilities. It will also be open for weddings and other big events," said Mr Tshuma.

"We will develop the roads from Mayfair Dam to Jabulani Safaris where people will be exposed to a lot of manmade and wildlife attractions. The viewing of Dlodlo Ruins, Nalatale Ruins and Zinjanja Ruins will be something to look forward to.

"Almost all the animals are available at Jabulani Safaris except the lion. There are a lot of activities that can be availed at Jabulani Safaris including team-building exercises, mountain climbing, fishing, and so on. It will be a highly attractive route for tourists from South Africa going to Kariba."

Mr Tshuma said the local authority had engaged a local investor to partner in the project.

"We approached JR Goddard, the owner of Jabulani Safaris to develop the proposed hotel and Mayfair Dam, and the proposal was developed and given to the Ministry of Environment for approval. The funding is there, what's left is the approval. The funding also includes the development of the road from West Nicholson to Shangani.

"We've alerted all commercial farm owners with farms along those routes to say you can develop lodges and any other tourist facilities that you think tourists can enjoy as they move along that road. Some farmers are ready to invest into that line of business so that once the process is started, they're also able to reap something from tourism," said Mr Tshuma. Once this tourism concept is introduced, Mr Tshuma said, local communities stand to benefit significantly.

"We will create a market for the farmer's produce that they can they sell to tourists. This will also provide tourism income for the services they will be providing," he said.

"Culturally, the communities can provide entertainment services to the tourists for a fee. The road network itself, once improved, will ensure that there's mobility of local farmers and residents to Filabusi, Shangani, Gweru and Bulawayo," said Mr Tshuma.

This development comes at a time when the country is on a drive to promote domestic tourism.

Domestic tourism has been neglected over the years with stakeholders in consensus that there is a need to promote it.

The domestic tourism sub-sector is an economic enabler that can see the creation of jobs both directly and indirectly, as well as the development of infrastructure such as roads leading to those tourist sites and its growth will ultimately lead to the attainment of Vision 2030.

For the past month, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi has been moving across the country's provinces launching domestic tourism campaigns where she reiterated the need for locals to enjoy sampling the beauty of their country.

In China, the bulk of the tourism products are consumed by locals because of the Government's deliberate policies to promote domestic tourism.

Governments use domestic tourism as a tool to eliminate local poverty, generate employment and economic growth, upgrade infrastructure, and alleviate pressure from discretionary pricing policies as well as the provision of non-wage tourism benefits.