The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
THIRTY-YEAR-OLD Dangamvura man, Mr Elvis Makoni came out tops in the Manicaland Province Tourism Innovation Challenge after outclassing six other participants who were vying for supremacy.
Mr Tafadzwa Maripita of Mutasa District and Mr Desire Kafesu of Makoni District were first and second runners-up respectively.
Mr Makoni was handed over the winners’ prize of US$1 000 at the Youth Capacitation and Tourism Innovation Challenge awards ceremony held at a local hotel on Tuesday.
He charmed the adjudicators who included veteran hoteliers, Mr William Chatigu and Mr Willard Madhombiro with his presentation titled ‘Short, but Forever’.
He talked about how short films that focus on tourism sites in the Eastern Highlands can be produced with prominent people featuring in them to help market the destinations.
Seven aspiring innovators from across Manicaland participated.
The challenge seek to identify innovative projects that can transform the tourism sector, encourage young innovators to create projects around the tourism sector as well as empower youths through employment creation.
It also seeks to encourage youths to become tourism entrepreneurs.
Mr Makoni will compete with other provincial winners from across the country for the national challenge.
The national winner will be announced on World Tourism Day (27 September) or by September 30.
The winning project will be awarded US$5 000.The ecstatic Mr Makoni said: “I am overjoyed and I want to thank the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) for the opportunity. We would like to thank them for giving the youths an opportunity to shine. I am ready for future challenges and I am confident that I will make my province proud.”
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Nokhuthula Matsikenyire, whose speech was read on her behalf by Director Responsible for Economic Affairs and Investment in her Office, Mr Munyaradzi Rubaya said Government is committed to promoting the participation of youths in the economy through innovation.
She lauded the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and ZTA for cascading the youth challenge to the provinces.
“The participation of youths at provincial level will assist in stimulating and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in our province and increase the competitiveness of our tourism products.
“It is important for youths to participate in these innovation programmes to position our province competitively and grow our tourism economy as well as creating employment. Growing the tourism economy implies innovating continuously so that new products and services can be introduced into the market, thereby creating new tourism economic value.
“Government is playing its role in creating an enabling ecosystem to foster innovation and entrepreneurship,” she said.
