The Sunday News
Nkosilathi Sibanda, Sunday Business Correspondent
THE local tourism and hospitality industry is set to launch the National Travel and Tourism Awards this week to honour companies and individuals that have excelled within the sector.
The unveiling of the awards is penciled in for Wednesday in Harare and is being organised by the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
This comes on the backdrop of growth margins in the industry that have seen the country attaining world acclaim as one of the best destinations. Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Paul Matamisa said all is set for the launch.
“A National Travel and Tourism Awards initiative is to be launched this coming week by the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
“This is a joint exercise involving these three partner organisations and it is aimed at providing a platform for the recognition each year of effort and achievement in support of travel and tourism growth and development by individuals and organisations, whether directly or indirectly involved in the sector,” he said.
Mr Matamisa stated that the grand stage for awarding top performers is planned for later in December.
“It is hoped the first awards ceremony will be held in December, to honour such effort and achievement during 2020. Many people and organisations go over and above the call of duty to serve the sector and it is this kind of commitment that will be recognised by the awards, the name and logo of which will be unveiled at the launch.”
ZTA spokesperson Mr Godfrey Koti said the adjudication of the awards will cut across all stakeholders who are into travel and tourism.
“We are working in unison with partner organisations to award excellence to those that have kept the industry running. The official launch is to alert all stakeholders in the sector to start now to improve standards. The awards are to motivate everyone to play their part, be it hotels, restaurants, lodges and individuals contributing efforts to the industry.
“What excites the most is that these awards come at a time when the country is being endorsed as one of the best destinations by premier media outlets such as Lonely Planet, Bloomberg, CNN and National Geographic among others. So it is worthy that on our part we give honour, through the National Travel and Tourism awards, to the people that run tourism.”
