Zimbabwe has been awarded the most sought after prize of Top Emerging Travel Destination of 2012 by the Travel and Leisure magazine of China. This is one of the major travel awards in Asia which is of international repute. Zimbabwe emerged the winner in a process that included competition from various destinations across the globe. The announcement was made recently at a ceremony held in Beijing, China where Zimbabwe was represented by its Ambassador to China, His Excellency Fredrick Shava.

Gairezi Ecotourism Project, a CAMPFIRE project, is a beautifully situated on the crystal clear Gairezi River in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. It started in the early 1990s and they are in partnership with Nyanga Downs Fly Fishing Club. This project benefits 304 households from the Dazi and Nyamutsapa Communities, Nyanga.
Accommodation – self-catering set of four-bedroom lodges and a campsite that can accommodate 20 single tents.

Management of the facility: The project is run by a board of 6 individuals and a management committee of four all drawn from the local community. At the moment the management committee and staff are getting management and marketing support from Nyanga Downs’ Club. The community is in a partnership arrangement with the Nyanga Downs Flyfishers Club. A Board of Trustees drawn from the local community oversees the management of the center whilst five staff are employed one as manager, the other as resource monitor and the rest are lodge attendants.

Access – The facility is situated about 30 km on the north west side of Nyanga and about 18km from the Troutbeck resort. The 20km stretch off the Nyanga Nyamaropa road after Troutbeck is a gravel road but is well maintained by the Nyanga Rural District Council. In the rainy season, an all weather rough terrain vehicle is advisable. Amenities – A local clinic in Dazi area is accessible to visitors. The facility is also covered by two mobile networks albeit intermittently. Shops and fuels are available 20km away in Troutbeck.

Attractions – Scenic views of the Nyangani mountain range; Gairezi river; cool weather, pine plantations, unique tree ferns, chief Tangwena – (his Chimurenga history).

Activities –Fly fishing for trout, hiking, bird watching, shopping for local crafts, chief Tangwena story and village visit,

Awareness – The facility is marketed mainly by Nyanga Downs Fly Fishers Club. STEP Zimbabwe website also contains content on the website.

Main Challenges: It was noted during the interview that the project requires intensive capacity building for the employees and the board members for efficient running of the business. Although the partnership with Nyanga Downs has been good in sustaining the operations (especially visitorship) there is no apparent effort towards local community empowerment and gradual handover. In the event that Nyanga Downs draws out of the partnership, the local communities will be left wanting. They need to make their own decisions pertaining to the running of the business. It was also noted that project is operating without being registered as a community based enterprise with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. Some of the issues of the project include, poor capacity of board and members, weak partnership between Nyanga Downs Club, the Board and communities that does not promote transfer of skills from the partner to the community, poor readiness to takeover project despite the years of partnership, stagnant growth in facilities, activities and market.

Future Prospects: The community plans to expand the facility by building more lodges along the river that are operated directly by communities. There are also plans for horse riding and village visits into the park and to the Tangwena community.

Found in the heart of Binga, the center provides the greatest opportunity for those interested in wildlife and rare bird species viewing, leisure sport fishing, hot springs and the fantastic scenery beauty. The adjacent almighty Zambezi river also provides an opportunity for some boat cruises.

Based in Umzingwane, the centre offers genuine cultural and historical experience of the Ndebeles, ancient rock paintings, bird and wildlife viewing, camping sites and an opportunity to experience the life of local rural people.

Intunjambili Wetlands Ecotourism Project
The wetland is located 40km South East of Bulawayo and the communities boarder with the Matobo National Park, a world Heritage site. Intunjambili wetland community consisting of 280 households. Visitors to Intunjambili can enjoy the scenic drive and views of the wetland from a huge rock outcrop overlooking the wetland. Several natural caves provide a unique picnic experience. Visitors can also fish on the dam and tour the villages and drive through the tranquil rural settings to the adjacent Matobo National Park.

Matshmbezi Valley Eco-Tourism Project
Based in Umzingwane, the centre offers genuine cultural and historical experience of the Ndebeles, ancient rock paintings, bird and wildlife viewing, camping sites and an opportunity to experience the life of local rural people.

Mwinji Eco-Tourism Project
Found in the heart of Binga, the center provides the greatest opportunity for those interested in wildlife and rare bird species viewing, leisure sport fishing, hot springs and the fantastic scenery beauty. The adjacent almighty Zambezi river also provides an opportunity for some boat cruises.

Craft Centers

Bulawayo Home Industries

Bulawayo Municipality in partnership with Makokoba township, 60 weavers and ten spinners to produce a wide range of utilitarian baskets and embroidered linens. Tourists visit this center to buy crafts from locals.

Muzilikazi Art and Craft Center

Started in 1958, produces, through the hands of 30 skilled potters, a wide range of ceramics for the tables, vases and ornamental pieces for domestic use and direct sale to tourists.

The wetland is located 40km South East of Bulawayo and the communities boarder with the Matobo National Park, a world Heritage site. Intunjambili wetland community consisting of 280 households. Visitors to Intunjambili can enjoy the scenic drive and views of the wetland from a huge rock outcrop overlooking the wetland. Several natural caves provide a unique picnic experience. Visitors can also fish on the dam and tour the villages and drive through the tranquil rural settings to the adjacent Matobo National Park.

Situated 12 km off the Vic Falls Bulawayo Road, about 2 km along the Gorges road, the place located just outside the Vic Falls National Park offers a typical live traditional village life.

Management of the facility: Mr Ndhlovu the coordinator and owner of the village works with his extended family are involved in the day to day operation of the business.

Accommodation – The village has huts than can accommodate 10 overnight visitors and shelters where a maximum of 20 people can be sheltered overnight.

Access – Easily accessed by road from Bulawayo Vic Falls road. The 12km off tarmac can be travelled using 2x2 vehicles. Tours in hired buses are regularly organized from Vic Falls by tour operators.

Amenities – Ablution blocks, clean water, curious available on site. Other services are readily available from Vic Falls

Attractions: the village structures, traditional cuisine, crafts, scenic views of the Vic Falls, Masuwe gorge
Activities – cultural dance, storytelling, herbal solutions, live and stage made traditional wedding parties. The village also allows local craft makers to sell their wares to tourists who visit the village.

Awareness – At the moment the village is working closely with Vic Falls based tour operators for sale, packaging and marketing of the product. Main Challenges: The facility lacks a proper framework for private – community partnership. Pricing of the product and packaging is an area that needs improvement. Future Prospects: As a social responsibility, the village has donated books for the schools around within the community, facilitated the maintenance of the roads and the famous KoMphisi soccer trophy. Above all the village is facilitating the water project for the community.

Situated in Lupane, 2km from the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway, the Lupane Women’s Crafts Centre is a lucrative centre for basket making of all shapes and sizes. The centre has a membership 3 400 people from Lupane District. Of these 2400 are women and 1000 men. It is used for making crafts including baskets, floor cushions, trays, hats and stools which are made from the local resources such as ilala palm, sisal and wood. The bulk of products are mainly exported to America, Canada and Holland. The Lupane Women’s Crafts Centre has potential to be widely marketed to local and international tourists. Construction of the Centre was done with funds received from the Bernard Sunley Foundation, Sulzeberger Foundation, British Embassy, American Embassy, Canadian Fund Development Agency and the American Embassy small grants. Since 2004 Lupane has received institutional and program funding from Liechtenstein Development Services (LED) and occasional but valuable projects support from the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). Management of the facility: It is a local organization which is run by the women with the assistance of a secretariat of 17 and 13 members of the Board of Trustees. The center is managed by a board drawn from members who are assisted by a technical team of employees (Manager, training coordinators, marketing officer and accountant) who manage the center on a day to day basis.

Accommodation – The centre has accommodation facilities which can carter for 25 people at any given time. Access: The center is easily accessible by road, along the Bulawayo Harare highway.

Amenities – N/A

Attractions – The main attraction is the unique basketry that the women produce. Weaving days are also a great attraction where one can see more than 300 women weaving – synonymous with bees in a bee hive. The accommodation and cafeteria also provide a convenient stop over for visitors travelling to and from Vic Falls or Binga. Activities – Tours around the craft center and surrounding villages where women come from
Women at Lupane Crafts center weaving crafts for export

Awareness – the center is highly marketed through the website, http://www.lupanewomenscenter.org Main Challenges: Limited visitor inflows Future Prospects: The plan is to put up lodges a training centre, conference facilities and a shop in the remaining extent of the land. The place is situated close to the Vic falls/Binga Bulawayo highway and has quite good potential for traveler’s enroute to Vic falls or Binga to provide visitor stop over facilities. In this venture the Centre is looking for funds to set up the structures the women are prepared to contribute the thatching grass and labour where possible.

 Binga Craft Centre is a community based organization, linked to more than 4000 Tonga Women craft producers living in the Binga district. The Binga Craft Centre was established in 1989 and has since transformed into a members' association comprising 33 affiliate clubs with a total of 4 000 women. All the women are basket weavers. The Craft Centre, located in the center of Binga town serves as an outlet

This facility is situated next to the Siamuloba on the Sebungwe River. This camp was also meant to provide accommodation for the fishermen and to serve as an additional accommodation facility to accommodate overflows and budget tourists from Siamuloba camp. There are four huts which have since dilapidated and were not able to be roofed due to lack of funds. Ablution facilities had also been built. The community cited costs involved as the main drawback to the resuscitation this facility.

Future Prospects: There is an arrangement that once the two camps are put up, the community manages the smaller camp (Kamata base) whilst a private expert partner manages the larger high end camp on behalf of the community.