News / Religion
Churches ready to complement religious tourism
07 Oct 2024 at 16:06hrs | Views
Indigenous churches have yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to complement the government's broader strategy of clusterisation to realise the US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025.
Speaking at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport upon arrival from Dubai (the United Arab Emirates), one of Johane Masowe yeChishanu Jerusalem leader, Madzibaba Biggie Musanzika (also known as Prophet Jonah) has confirmed that his journey was driven by the motive towards promoting religious tourism especially during their annual festivities and pilgrimages.
"It is the duty of our indigenous churches to complement government efforts to realise its policy on achieving a US$5 billion tourism economy by the year 2025. My journey was on the backdrop of our quest make sure that our membership from United Arab Emirates come to Zimbabwe and contribute towards the country's economic growth," Musanzika said.
"Through their annual visits during our festivities, they will have time to spend money on various services including hospitality. We need to develop infrastructure which complement tourism and hiring or utilisation of such," Musanzika added.
"With unity and sustainable peace, this create an enabling environment for attainment of an upper middle income economy by the year 2030," Musanzika said.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Barbara Rwodzi, has on various occasions appealed to stakeholders in the tourism industry to remit tourism levies to the Government and help to market Zimbabwe as a destination of choice.
“It is a charge that you put on tourists and remit it to us. You are not paying the money which the tourist is giving you. The law says a tourist has to pay a Tourism Levy on the service you are giving them,” Rwodzi said then while addressing tourism sector players during a stakeholder consultative workshop on the Tourism Amendment Bill in Victoria Falls.
“Government has entrusted you, but some are not charging that. Our strategy follows the national strategy of President Mnangagwa in his vision for an upper-middle-income society by 2030, so business should contribute to that,” Rwodzi said then.
Speaking at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport upon arrival from Dubai (the United Arab Emirates), one of Johane Masowe yeChishanu Jerusalem leader, Madzibaba Biggie Musanzika (also known as Prophet Jonah) has confirmed that his journey was driven by the motive towards promoting religious tourism especially during their annual festivities and pilgrimages.
"It is the duty of our indigenous churches to complement government efforts to realise its policy on achieving a US$5 billion tourism economy by the year 2025. My journey was on the backdrop of our quest make sure that our membership from United Arab Emirates come to Zimbabwe and contribute towards the country's economic growth," Musanzika said.
"Through their annual visits during our festivities, they will have time to spend money on various services including hospitality. We need to develop infrastructure which complement tourism and hiring or utilisation of such," Musanzika added.
"With unity and sustainable peace, this create an enabling environment for attainment of an upper middle income economy by the year 2030," Musanzika said.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Barbara Rwodzi, has on various occasions appealed to stakeholders in the tourism industry to remit tourism levies to the Government and help to market Zimbabwe as a destination of choice.
“It is a charge that you put on tourists and remit it to us. You are not paying the money which the tourist is giving you. The law says a tourist has to pay a Tourism Levy on the service you are giving them,” Rwodzi said then while addressing tourism sector players during a stakeholder consultative workshop on the Tourism Amendment Bill in Victoria Falls.
“Government has entrusted you, but some are not charging that. Our strategy follows the national strategy of President Mnangagwa in his vision for an upper-middle-income society by 2030, so business should contribute to that,” Rwodzi said then.
Source - Byo24News
