The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Business Correspondent
EXPERIENCED hotelier and Golden Peacock Villa Hotel general manager, Mr Adonis Mutigwe was recently elected the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Chapter president.
He took over from Holiday Inn general manager, Mr Charlton Chimbira.
Mr Mutigwe will be deputised by Ms Audrey Mutyamaenza of Enopart Hotel.
Speaking after his election, Mr Mutigwe pledged to work with various stakeholders, apart from tourism captains, to unlock the full tourism potential of the province.
“It is high time that communities, tertiary institutions, businesses and players in the arts, sports and tourism sectors join hands for an all-inclusive approach to propel tourism in the Eastern Highlands to greater heights,” said Mr Mutigwe.
He said during his tenure, he will uphold progressive initiatives such as ZimBho that seek to market Zimbabwe as a preferred tourism destination, while aligning their aspirations to the country’s tourism recovery and growth strategy.
President Mnangagwa is on record saying the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy is anchored on Zimbabwe’s vision to be a prime international tourist destination based on the judicious and sustainable exploitation of the unique assets of nature, culture, heritage and the environment.
“Being voted into office was and is still a humbling honour. It will be a challenging experience, but a huge opportunity to learn and grow. The task is made easier because the product is ready for the market.
“The constant influx of tourists into some scenic areas in the province is a testament of where the province stands in the tourism matrix. The task that faces the organisation involves embracing all players in sectors such as the arts, sports and business captains, among others, in order to add their share to the greater vision which is embedded in the Visit Zim theme.
“We will have a strong emphasis on the ‘Visit the Beauty’ theme to market the untapped Manicaland sites. There is need for collective effort to place the Eastern Highlands where it rightfully belongs and where it can match with other majestic sites such as Victoria Falls,” said Mr Mutigwe.
Mr Mutigwe’s journey in the tourism sector back dates to Wimpy Restaurant where he was a porter before he polished himself into a gem and passed through institutions such as Cresta Hotels and African Sun.
Speaking recently in Kariba, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said the competitiveness of a tourist destination is underpinned by resource endowments such as climate, flora, fauna, scenery and other natural elements in that particular destination.
“Destination competitiveness is also boosted by basic elements such as tourism infrastructure (hotels, conferencing facilities, etcetera) and transport networks. More importantly are the site’s cultural attributes,” said Minister Ndlovu.
Manicaland is home to scenic areas such as Mtarazi Falls, Nyanga Mountains, Nyachowa Falls, Nyangombe Falls, World’s View as well as historic accommodation facilities such as Rhodes Hotel.
