Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi
The decision to take major tourism and sporting events to Masvingo is set to unlock new economic opportunities for communities and businesses in the province, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has said.
Minister Rwodzi said this at the awards ceremony marking the end of the inaugural September Sports Tourism Carnival at Mucheke Stadium, where she said hosting major events outside the country’s metropolitan centres was critical in ensuring that the benefits of tourism were widely distributed.
She said Masvingo’s hosting of the sporting carnival had demonstrated how sports could be deliberately linked to tourism, heritage and economic participation, bringing visitors into the province while creating business opportunities for local players.
The carnival brought together tertiary institutions, national and community teams competing in football, netball, cricket, tennis, basketball, volleyball, boxing, marathon, pool, golf and rugby.
The influx of athletes, officials and spectators increased demand for accommodation, restaurants, transport, retail and other tourism-related services, providing a direct boost to the local economy.
“Masvingo’s hosting of the Carnival provides a practical model of how Sports Tourism and MICE Tourism can disperse Tourism activity, showcase provincial heritage and create opportunities for communities and businesses within the Tourist economy,” Minister Rwodzi said.
She said the hosting of such events in provinces such as Masvingo also gave visitors an opportunity to experience Zimbabwe beyond conventional tourism circuits, particularly through the province’s rich heritage and cultural attractions.
The inaugural carnival is now expected to become an annual fixture in Masvingo, creating a predictable stream of visitors and business for the province.
Minister Rwodzi said the annual nature of the event would also give tourism businesses greater certainty while creating opportunities for investment in infrastructure, accommodation and other services needed to support the growing events tourism market.
This development comes as Masvingo prepares to host the 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo from September 9 to 12, creating a continuous tourism platform following the sports carnival.
The combination of sport and the tourism expo is expected to broaden Masvingo’s tourism offering by linking sporting activities with heritage, culture, gastronomy, leisure and business events.
Meanwhile, Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Lieutenant-General (Rtd) Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe said the successful carnival had demonstrated that sport had moved beyond competition and could play a significant role in economic and tourism development.
“Sport has evolved beyond competition into an industry capable of contributing meaningfully to Tourism and Economic development,” Minister Sanyatwe said.
He said the carnival provided a platform through which sport could contribute to the growth of local economies while complementing Zimbabwe’s broader destination-marketing efforts.
The Masvingo events are therefore positioning the province as a destination where sport, heritage and tourism can work together to attract visitors, stimulate local businesses and create new economic opportunities.
And this model also supports Zimbabwe’s broader strategy of spreading tourism activity across provinces rather than concentrating major events and their economic benefits in metropolitan centres.
