THE government has commended the rapid growth of Zimbabwe’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, describing the emergence of world-class conferencing facilities in rural areas as a major boost to tourism, employment creation and economic development.
Speaking after touring Gohori Resort in Mutoko, Information minister Zhemu Soda said the investment reflected the government’s vision of achieving an empowered upper-middle-income economy by 2030 through private sector-led development.
“Traditionally, Mutoko was not known for tourism facilities like the one that we’ve just visited, seen and experienced here,” Soda said.
“This is aligned with the aspiration that the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) has of realising an empowered upper-middle-income society by the year 2030, especially during this National Development Strategy 2 period where tourism is taking centre stage in the development of our country.”
He praised the transformation taking place in rural communities, which are becoming tourism destinations attracting visitors from across the country, Africa and beyond, zeroing in on Gohori Resort founded by businessman Bernard Kasekete.
“People in their various localities are becoming innovative and creative. Kasekete decided to transform his place into a tourism facility. A lot of people are now travelling from all over the world and around Zimbabwe to tour Gohori Resort, which used to be just bush but has now been turned into a tourism facility,” he said.
Soda said the development embodied the government’s policy of leaving “no one and no place behind”, noting that facilities similar to those in Harare and Victoria Falls were now available in Mutoko.
“There are now very good facilities here in Mutoko. We’ve seen excellent accommodation, very good conferencing facilities and a well-designed environment. This is a feeder into the realisation of the national vision,” he said.
He added that the resort had created employment for more than 50 people, contributing to livelihoods and economic growth in the district and province.
Soda also welcomed the resumption of Air Zimbabwe’s Harare-London route, saying it would strengthen tourism and trade.
“It is another contribution to the hospitality industry. People travelling from London to Zimbabwe will find it much easier to get here, and they will not only stay in Harare but will also visit places like this in Mutoko. We anticipate trade volumes and value to increase as a result of the resumption of the Harare-London route,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kasekete said demand for conference facilities at Gohori Resort had exceeded expectations, positioning Mutoko as a new destination for business tourism.
“We are getting lots of enquiries, we are almost getting full for the year in as far as conferences are concerned because we have one of the best conferences, Ngahwe is the thing of the moment. We have equipped this conference with the latest state-of-the-art LED screens… we have the fastest internet,” Kasekete said.
He said the resort’s main conference venue accommodates between 200 and 300 delegates, with plans to add four more conference rooms, including a 600 to 1 000-seat convention centre by the end of the year to cater for growing demand.