ZIMBABWE’S tourism sector is set to gain fresh momentum following a dedicated engagement with operators from Gujarat, India, held during the Chalo Zimbabwe initiative led by Vice President General (Rtd) Dr. Constantino Chiwenga.
On the sidelines of the inaugural Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry–Chalo Zimbabwe Trade and Investment Forum, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Honourable Tongai Mnangagwa, described the session as “very successful and insightful,” highlighting the strong traction Zimbabwe received from the Indian market.
“Our key message to the Indian market was: come home, come follow us to Zimbabwe, Chalo Zimbabwe, come and experience Zimbabwe, what Zimbabwe has to offer. We are talking about the wildlife, we are talking about the heritage, the culture. So we received very good feedback, we generated a lot of interest, and we are hoping a lot of them will follow us as we go back home. From my point of view, we got a lot of traction,” he said.
Sports tourism, especially cricket, emerged as a key area of interest.
“It looks like Indians are mainly interested in sport, especially cricket. That was one of the highlights, even the Vice President mentioned to them that we are building a cricket stadium. There is excitement to come for the World Cup juniors and the seniors, and we are looking forward to them actually coming to visit Zimbabwe next year. A lot of them were concerned about security.
“A lot of them were asking: Are we secure in Zimbabwe? Is there freedom of religion? Are we able to find the food that we are used to? Like from this area that we are in, in Gujarati, they do not eat any meat at all. So they were asking: Will we find restaurants that will serve our dishes, our preferred dishes? Especially if someone has to stay for six days, they would want their own delicacies available. So we assured them that there are places, there are areas in Zimbabwe that run restaurants, run by people from this region, who are already established,” Honourable Mnangagwa added.
The government seeks to strengthen its position as a preferred destination for Indian tourists.
