BULAWAYO is being considered for hosting the second edition of the Zimbabwe International Carnival next year, with organisers of the high-profile tourism event grappling with inadequate hotel accommodation the country’s second largest city still has.
Report by Blondie Ndebele
Zimbabwe will host its first international carnival in Harare next month.
The event is expected to be characterised by public celebrations featuring performances by various artistes, people with costumes of the most outrageous nature, taking to the streets and joining thousands of others as they dance to loud music.
Speaking during a Bulawayo Tourism and Carnival stakeholder meeting at a hotel in the city on Wednesday, the chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), Karikoga Kaseke, said they would launch a strategic plan for tourism in Bulawayo in preparation for next year’s carnival.
“For now, the carnival will be alternating between Harare and Bulawayo and when it gets popular, cities will bid to have the event in their areas,” he said.
“It is a sad situation that to this day Bulawayo does not have a five-star hotel. What happens to the tourism in the city if there is no accommodation? Yes, there are lodges and hotels, but there is need to attract investors so we can build upmarket hotels around here to boost our tourism economy.”
Kaseke said a carnival is an economic and social event that attracts people from all over the world to showcase their various cultures through their traditional cuisines, dances, artefacts and performances.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“If we hold a carnival here in Bulawayo next year, we don’t know where all those people will sleep. It’s sad that Bulawayo will not be able to accommodate even the domestic tourists alone. What does it mean to the tourism economy of this city?” Kaseke queried.
Commenting on the carnival in Harare next month, Kaseke said the event was not budgeted for and as such, would not be as glamorous as ZTA would have wished.
“For the past three years, we have failed to have our first edition of the carnival because we could not get the money from the Finance ministry,” he said.
“This year, with or without the money, the carnival will go on. We will rely on the private sector and they are very positive about it. At least 70% of the funds will come from them while ZTA will contribute the other 30% from the things we do ourselves.”
Kaseke added that they expected over 200 000 participants from different countries this year for the event which will run between May 22 and 29.
