via EU Council Awards Zimbabwe Best World Tourism Destination Title by Gibbs Dube 6 May 2014 VOAZimbabwe
The European Union Council on Tourism and Trade has unanimously decided to award Zimbabwe the World Best Tourist Destination for 2014 title for promoting ecotourism and successfully convening an international conference last year.
The General Assembly of the council says Zimbabwe hosted the World Tourism Organization General Assembly in 2013 despite tremendous logistic and economic challenges.
The Assembly says there is no doubt that the country has the capacity to organize top world events, is a safe destination.
According to the Council, Zimbabwe has unequivocally demonstrated that it is a safe, open and perfectly managed power house.
Apart from that, it further says the country has done a lot in promoting eco-tourism leading to a lot of community support in the preservation of natural resources.
“Among other reasons is the promotion and support offered to a new concept of community natural protection supporting tourism friendly to nature, with low ecological impact and preservation of natural biodiversity and protection of endangered species and areas,” said the EU Council.
It said community-based ecotourism protection carved by former Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi is “a perfect way to share revenues and income and to support rural communities in prospering.”
The EU Council said this has ensured that ecotourism is the base for local economic development.
Reacting to this development, Zanu PF activist, Morris Ngwenya, said Zimbabwe deserved the award. “At last the country has been recognized for the good job it is doing in tourism, cultural issues and others.”
But independent economist Walter Mbongolwane disagreed, saying there are countries like South Africa which offer better tourism activities than Zimbabwe. “At least South Africa deserves an award and not Zimbabwe. How can the country win an award in the midst of an economic crisis … This is absurd.”
Tourism visits went up in Zimbabwe soon after the establishment of a unity government which was in power up to the 2013 general election. The situation has degenerated following Zanu PF’s election victory last year as the local economy has been hit by deflation, lack of foreign direct investment and general liquidity constraints.
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[….about time that politicians and punters put conservation first in Zimbabwe’s safari industry]
COMMENTS
Qatah won the footy bid!!!!! Wink!! Wink!!
Now I know for sure that the EU is a waste of space !!!
a very sick joke indeed!
All this from Satire Monthly?
Bunch of idiots!!Is this a joke or how much was someone paid??
Hey it’s no joke the EU award is genuine the theme was come to Zimbabwe to see Rhodesia ruins.
Visitors can be held up and emptied of all their cash by desperate police trying to survive with no pay . Visit the newest desert in Africa called zanuland. They used all the vegetation for tobacco curing. Visit vic falls and the safari lodge see the latest closures of good hotels and you can stay in them free. Don’t expect running water and don’t drink from local water holes they’re riddled with Cholera. If you need electricity to charge your camera if it hasn’t been liberated by the police don’t bother Zimbabwe hasn’t paid its electricity account. Need a taxi bring your spade to fill the potholes. If filled with water you can swim in them for free mind the botulism. Need a train well you’ll have to wait they don’t run on time.
Don’t take pictures of any government buildings. You might get charged for subversive activities. And no gays or lesbians please Zimbabwe is a moral country run by murderers thieves and thugs.
Enjoy you stay. And finally don’t fly air Zimbabwe you may be asked to pay for the charges and fuel before they let you off.
P.S. and Bribe the custom and Immigration !!
The Zimbabwe situation is far from perfect, but it’s also far from this doomday picture. You have exaggerated too much. Zim is a great destination to visit
Better be quiet if u hv never set foot in Zim. There’s no better place to b in this world than in Zim. Listen to too much propaganda from media and be blind to goodness for the rest of your lives. Zimbabwe is beautiful. And with a beautiful people too-who are loving and caring. Imagine a country said to be in war but with no gunshots, no guns in the streets. When u say ther’s no power then y don u dare touch a power cable.