The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Business Reporter
THE annual cycling event, Tour de Great Dyke is expected to play an integral role in promoting geo-tourism as the country forges ahead to increase the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr Munyaradzi Hwengwere, spokesperson for the organisers of the Tour de Great Dyke said there was a need for the country to aggressively market and promote its diversified geo-tourism attractions as one of its tourist packages.
Tour de Great Dyke, which is organised by YaFM and Minex in partnership with Buy Zimbabwe, is in its fourth year.
This year’s event will take place from Tuesday to Saturday.
“We were told that geological tourism has become big globally that people come from various schools to know about your geology and we think when you combine mining and tourism it also ensures that miners take care of the environment better because they know that from the same environment, you can also use it to attract tourists from around the world,” said Mr Hwengwere.
He said in recognition of the importance of the fitness cycling event to the country’s tourism sector, the organisers have also partnered with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. As part of efforts to attract foreign participation for the event, the organisers have engaged a South African tour operator to invite cycling enthusiasts from the neighbouring country and around the world.
Statistics show that last year, tourism registered a four percent growth, with 2,1 million tourists visiting Zimbabwe, injecting $890 million into the economy. This represents about 25 percent of the national budget. The figure is slightly less than this in terms of its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product. The sector is expected to achieve higher growth with arrivals forecast to rise to 2,5 million in 2020.
The Great Dyke is a linear geological feature that trends nearly north-south through the centre of Zimbabwe passing just to the west of the capital, Harare. It consists of a band of short, narrow ridges and hills spanning for approximately 550 kilometres.
The hills become taller as the range goes north, and reach up to 460 metres above the Mvurwi range. The range is host to vast ore deposits, including gold, silver, chromium, platinum, nickel and asbestos.
Mr Hwengwere said the Tour de Great Dyke, which is set to start in Darwendale at Great Dyke Investments and end in Zvishavane was designed to raise awareness of the potential benefits the country could reap from exploiting its minerals.
“It is the epicentre of Zimbabwe’s mineral worth. However, what we have discovered is very little is known about the Great Dyke particularly by Zimbabweans and you cannot expect people who don’t know what their country possesses to fully participate in unlocking opportunities of that area.
“Neither can we expect the same people who don’t know or appreciate what their country possesses to protect the same thing that they possess. However, instead of just coming up with this, educationally we said let’s do it in a way that deals with the health and wellness drive. We do it through sport — cycling,” he said.
The cycling is expected to be led by core cyclists from the Zimbabwe Cycling Federation who will cover 550 kilometres with miners and cycling enthusiasts expected to travel allotted distances.
“Along the way we are working with town councils, so we work with all the towns municipalities like Chegutu, Kadoma, Gweru, Kwekwe, Shurugwi and Zvishavane and it comes at the right time when the thrust of the country is to say each of the provinces must have their own GDP and must compete,” said Mr Hwengwere.
The event would be launched by Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando at Great Dyke Investments on Tuesday while Youth, Sport, Art and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry is expected to be the guest speaker.
