Story by Tichaona Kurewa
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and Albatros Golf Safaris have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote sport tourism in the country through golf.
As part of the Tourism Recovery and Growth Plan, Zimbabwe has clustered tourism to streamline growth, one of them being sport tourism.
It is on this footing that government and the private sector are teaming up to promote sports tourism, with the latest efforts being a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and Albatros Golf Safaris to promote sports tourism in the country.
The signing ceremony took place during the Sterling Hotels International Pairs Golf Tournament in Victoria Falls this Saturday.
“It is an agreement to incorporate two organisations to see that there is mutual benefit. As Albatross, we are trying to grow the sport of golf. As an individual who has been part of the national association, I understand that golf is bigger than a sport. As a country, we need to realise that sport is an industry which can really contribute to the GDP of the country.
“Along the years we have been having engagements with ZTA, teams have been going outside the county, etc and then you realise that there is an opportunity to have a synergy,” said Albatros Golf Safaris chairperson, Mr Mufaro Chivonivoni.
The Zimbabwe Golf Association and corporate partners acknowledged the importance of public private partnership in promoting sports tourism.
“This is quite historic in the sense that for the first time we have the ability to get the government to pay attention to one of the minority sports. We are so grateful as Golf Zimbabwe, for this relationship. It is a relationship that goes a long way in the promotion of domestic tourism.
“As you would agree with me, we have 128 people that have come from all four corners of the country, something that if we were to set an example, it’s something that we do not normally do between sport and tourism,” noted Mr Zimbabwe Golf Association president, Mr Martin Chikwanda.
Sterling Southern Hotels General Manager, Mr Fungai Mutseyekwa weighed in, “Sport tourism is a really big business worldwide and Zimbabwe is still in its infancy in tapping the potential of sport tourism. So we are being intentional as a group to make sure that sport tourism features prominently and we want more given this opportunity, this offer to be partners as anchor sponsors of what is now called Sterling Hotels International Pairs Tournament.”
Victoria Falls aspires to become a premier destination for hosting major sporting events, similar to Las Vegas in the US and Dubai in the UAE.
