The Sunday News
Dickson Mangena, Business Reporter
THE Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has expressed satisfaction with the success of the maiden Community Based Tourism (CBT) tour held in Bulawayo last week.
Principal administrative officer in the ministry, Mrs Chipo Chitagu said she was happy with the tour attendance and outcomes.
“About 35 people attended the tour. It was a success and the outcome will bring long term benefits as people expressed interest in the concept,” said Mrs Chitagu.
She said the ministry was now looking to see similar projects in other towns.
“It was just one of the marketing tools for the project. In future if we get funding we will do the same to other CBTs in the different provinces of the country,” Mrs Chitagu said.
A selected group of people in the tourism industry were lucky to get the free package to tour Bulawayo under the Amakhosi Cultural Tour, during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair held in Bulawayo last week.
The tour had targeted 80 people within and directly connected with the tourism industry to experience the concept of Community Based Tourism as efforts to reach a bigger market through local and international delegates.
Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), an independent institution of the government of Japan, responsible for international co-operation and development agenda of the country and the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry sponsored the tour.
Mrs Chitagu said she hoped that the sponsorship will leave the project at a point where it can sustain itself.
“Since Bulawayo Township Tour was one of the pilot projects chosen by JICA and the ministry our wish is to use the CBT manual that we developed to assist other projects. The JICA project is coming to an end in June and we hope Amakhosi will be able to use what they learnt to improve their viability,” Mrs Chitagu said.
The tour targeted heritage building trail and the Makokoba suburb tour. It began at the Large City Hall and included a number of buildings in the city that have historical significance.
Officials said the tour of Bulawayo was a tour of history, a tour of mysteries, untold stories and spectacle of the City of Kings.
The city buildings have a rich history dating back to colonialism, the First World War, the coming of the Queen of England and up to the liberation struggle.
