Please follow and like us:

By Martin Muleya

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has set itself in developing and sprucing up the tourism projects found in some remote parts of the country, it has been learnt.

In an interview this week ZTA Manicaland area manager Daniel Mumpande said his organization was geared in also recognizing and developing community based tourism.

“When we talk of community tourism basically we are looking at tourism projects done for the benefit of small communities where the tourism resource is situated. We have Matendera Heritage site that is situated in Buhera. The monument is similar to the famous national monument Great Zimbabwe though they differ in size, construction style and the material that was used,” said Mumpande.

Mumpande added that the idea of focusing on community based tourism would give a tourist an opportunity to stay in the community experiencing the way of life of the people within that particular community where the tourism resource is situated.

He reiterated that with this concept in place marginalized communities within which the tourism resources are found, are set to benefit from the gate-takings as well as the sale of artefacts by the locals.

“With community based tourism we are saying a tourist can visit a monument and stay in that village, experiencing the way of life of the people in that community. They will of course pay for the artefacts and the gate-takings which will also be extended to the community bringing about that development on that national fiscus,” he added.

Currently Mumpande said his organization was working in partnership with the Buhera Rural District Council and the National Museum and Monuments for the preparation of the inaugural Matendera festival to be held in August this year.

He said the Matendera festival was an example of community tourism that would benefit locals in Buhera as a model of income generating project.

Please follow and like us:

Comments

comments