WORK on the post-UNWTO legacy project in Victoria Falls has started with meetings and co-ordination between stakeholders having commenced as well as the identification of the municipality area between Adventure Lodge and the Old Chinotimba beer garden as the proposed site.
In an interview, a representative of the legacy projects said the community of Victoria Falls were the vision bearers of the project and believed that if everyone played a role the project would be completed within three months from the day they break the ground.
“The municipality of Victoria Falls is giving us serious support and the Olympic size swimming pool facility will help us market the destination for international swimming galas. Sports tourism from both the domestic and international market is what we intend to promote intensely,” said the representative.
According to minutes seen by Sunday Business, the legacy projects committee has held two meetings and has also visited the proposed site.
The minutes read that the secretary general was mandated to liaise with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality to obtain a letter that would be forwarded to council to confirm and secure the site.
“The team approved the site for its strategic location. Once the site is confirmed due process will begin and an architect will have to be engaged as well as carrying out of an environmental impact assessment,” read part of the minutes.
The minutes spelt out that the duty of the committee was to come up with the legacy roadmap and it was agreed to engage Munyeza Pools for a quotation.
“Munyeza Pools are professionals and a quote from them will give us an appreciation of what the project entails. Extra things like roof and gym on the side of the swimming pool will be more of luxury and can always be done in the long run,” read the minutes.
The committee, however, agreed to have more quotations once the money was availed as they were presently using personal funds.
Speaking on the benefits of playing host to the UNWTO summit, the committee representative said it was one of the best things that happened during their lifetime hence it could not be left to the discretion of authors and historians to record this event.
“We had hoped that a state of the art conference facility was going to be constructed prior to the show but that did not happen. The whole community of Victoria Falls was seriously disappointed when they saw temporary conference structures being taken down after the conference. It was a symbol of obliteration of history,” he said.
He said the legacy project was a source of pride to all humanity and the beginning of efforts to start work on the ground was a great relief to those who had doubted the project.
“We are the vision bearers of this project and believe that if everyone plays a role, the project will be completed within three months from the day we break the ground,” he said.