MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA in MASVINGO
Masvingo is set to become Zimbabwe's sports tourism hub, with the government planning an annual sports tourism carnival in the province, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has said.
Speaking at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo Golf Tournament prize-giving ceremony at Masvingo Golf Club, Rwodzi said the event would bring people from across the country to the province each year.
“Masvingo is going to be our sports tourism hub, so every year from now onwards we will be coming here. We call it September Sports Tourism Carnival, so next year you will be told the dates and people from various provinces will converge here in Masvingo,” she said.
Rwodzi said tourism was ultimately about bringing people to destinations, where they spend money on accommodation, food, drinks and other services.
“For us, it is the coming of the people that is tourism; when they come to Masvingo they will eat, they will sleep, they will drink,” she said.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira said sports tourism could help drive economic activity in the province.
“This sports tourism will boost the economy of our province because the tourism sector is a key economic factor which can contribute to our vision for an US$8 billion economy by 2030,” he said.
Chadzamira said an influx of visitors would create opportunities for local businesses.
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“When we have sports tourism, a lot of people will come here from all over the country and abroad, hence our businesses will boom,” he said.
Deputy Tourism Minister Tongai Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe needed to invest in sporting facilities if it was to fully benefit from sports tourism.
“Sports tourism can boost a lot because people will be coming from as far as India, the United States to come and spend time in Zimbabwe because of sports tourism,” he said.
Mnangagwa said sporting facilities could also be used to create tourism destinations across the country.
“People can go to Marondera for volleyball and you can go to another sport in Bulawayo. They go for tennis in Zvishavane but the facilities need to be there,” he said.
He said the golf tournament was part of efforts to promote sports tourism during the 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo.
Businessman and philanthropist Commissioner Sternly Kondongwe, through his company Byword Motors, was among the tournament sponsors.
“I’m happy to be here as part of the sponsors. My main reason why I have sponsored is because Masvingo is home; you call it Masvingo, I call it home,” he said.
Kondongwe said the tournament had attracted a full field of 72 players, showing the potential for Masvingo to host larger sporting events.
“We have nine holes here and we believe we can extend to have more tournaments,” he said.
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