The Sunday Mail
Religious tourism, which is encompassed in the National Tourism Policy, has the potential to contribute substantially to the national fiscus if it is nurtured well. Last week, our Religion Reporter Desire Ncube (DN) explored the subject with the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Engineer Walter Mzembi (WM). Eng Mzembi highlighted what the local religious groups are currently doing in promoting religious tourism and how his ministry will continue to promote it.
DN: Can you take me through what religious tourism is and what your ministry is doing so as to capitalise on it?
WM: Religious tourism is actually a product that we are developing as part of local product diversification based on our unique selling points and comparative advantages nationally and regionally.
There is no policy per se on religious tourism but rather a concept paper has been produced by the ministry. Religious tourism is enshrined in the National Tourism Policy.
Zimbabwe is a religious country no doubt as over 80 percent of our people practise active religion in its various forms.
As such, we envisage religious tourism being one of the draw cards for domestic and regional tourists who come for spiritual rebirth, religious pilgrimage to places such as Bernard Muzeki Shrine for missionary, leisure and fellowship purposes.
We are seeing what’s happening with PHD Ministries, UFIC Ministries, ZCC (Mbungo) The Apostolic Fellowship (Mapositori), AFM, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are drawing large crowds of both domestic and regional tourists to their special and annual meetings.
By advocating for free worship as enshrined in our constitution, we also encourage all religions to boost tourism.
Religious groups can definitely contribute to tourism through commercial activities that ride at the back of religious gatherings and worship.
We are encouraging them to put up with infrastructure that will cater for tourists to their churches. These can be hotels, lodges, private homes, catering services, transport services, religious paraphernalia shops, etc. These have to be duly registered and graded by the relevant authorities.
Where they cannot afford, they can enter into partnerships with corporates with the objective of contributing to tourism receipts and creation of employment among local communities.
We just want them to be responsible and accountable to their country and before God.
DN: What measures have you put in place to ensure that the local religious groups will contribute significantly towards religious tourism?
WM: Religious tourism can be defined as travel with the core motive of experiencing religious forms, or the products they induce, like art, culture, traditions and architecture.
The Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has launched a National Tourism Policy which supports religious tourism.
Through the Ministry of Tourism, the Government has been endorsing some of the religious groups facilities such as the Mbungo to be a tourism attraction, an initiative which encourages this religious group to contribute towards religious tourism.
The Government has proposed that those religious groups running conferencing facilities, chalets and lodges, run restaurants and vehicle renting be taxed in-order to contribute towards religious tourism.
It has facilitated rebates for those groups buying tourism materials from outside the country to be exempted from paying import duty – an initiative which would encourage these religious groups to venture into tourism-related business which at the end of the day will enable these groups to contribute towards religious tourism.
DN: Which platforms are you using as a ministry to promote religious tourism locally and internationally?
WM: The Ministry is using various media and publicity platforms that include the Ministry website, the National Conventions Bureau and travel agencies. Religious tourism has turned into a major international commercial service.
Travel agencies offer extensive multi-faith journey packages to ancient places of worship, sacred destinations and pilgrimage sites associated with the mainstream faiths.
The country is richly endowed with a lot of contemporary religious events and shrines.
Our Government through my Ministry has realised the potential role that religious tourism can play in our national economy and is taking various steps to develop and promote it.
To support this initiative, Our National Tourism Policy emphasises the development of Religious Tourism as one of our top priority areas.
DN: How are religious groups responding to religious tourism in the country? Are you facing any challenges working with them?
WM: They are promoting equity and access to religious tourism.
We have designated religious tourism facilities. Public viewing screens for use during some church services have been provided by the ministry.
Most religious groups attract people from far and wide the globe. When they come, some use the hotel facilities in the country.
Religion promotes peace and harmony with spiritual well-being considered as an integral part in people’s lives.
In view of the growing realisation of the importance of religious tourism, the Ministry designated religious shrines and festivals as tourism products. Take for example Celebration Centre in Borrowdale, Harare and the ZION Mbungo Church in Masvingo, just to mention a few.
Of late, various religious groups have shown a keen interest in religious tourism as evidenced by the successful hosting of international events like the 2014 Jehovah’s Witness General Conference that attracted approximately 82 000 delegates. Only 3 weeks ago, PHD Ministries attracted a record of 350 000 attendees.
Our tourism has been able to provide accommodation and conference facilities for those events.
To support this, Methodist Church approached me with intensions of hosting the 2024 Global Methodist General Conference in Zimbabwe
DN: In which ways do you think the recently held Harare International Carnival enhanced religious tourism in the country?
WM: It promoted religious tourism in various ways. Visitors experienced Zimbabwe’s religious events such as the rainmaking ceremony conducted in Chihota. Zimbabwe Tourism Authority officials and other visitors were part of that.
This will improve Zimbabwe’s religious tourism awareness and endorsement.
We envisage a multiplier effect in the long run as visitors who experienced these religious activities during the carnival will become ambassadors and come back in large numbers.
DN: How will you use your influence as the chairman of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) to promote Zimbabwe’s religious tourism?
WM: Religious tourism has become an integral part of the tourism sector as it contributes substantially to the country’s tourism receipts. Consequently, I, cognisant of the importance of uninhibited travel across borders to the development of Zimbabwe’s religious tourism, have been advocating for the implementation of mechanisms that facilitate travel and improve connectivity across our borders on every platform I have had access to, including the UNWTO.
Indeed, we have made more strides towards the development of the UNIVISA system in the last two years which incidentally coincide with my first tenure as chairman of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa, than we have at any point since its inception in 1998.
While the conclusion of the UNIVISA system will therefore be a definite focus area of my second tenure, I envision the embrace of ‘e-revolution’ technologies on our borders.
The vision is to see African countries score higher on the “openness to tourism” scale, a situation that will certainly augur well with the development of religious tourism in Zimbabwe.
Africa by and large is shaped and natured by religion.
Islam for example is a way of living, you live Islam.
That means your culture, your way of life, customs and habits are controlled and dictated by the religion.
Christianity on the other hand is a belief system that unites people from different backgrounds and cultures.
What unites them are the common beliefs bordering on Biblical understanding and interpretations.
My aim therefore becomes that of influencing a free flow of people to that which binds them together regardless of the distance that they travel.
My emphasis will then be on opening up the skies, liberalisation of the visa regime, fostering tolerance and respect for each other’s cultures as we pursue our religious goals throughout the CAF region.
Let people travel, let them free, and let them learn from each other. I will encourage that people be exposed as much as possible to any belief of their choice, exposure is the best teacher.
Religion knows no boundaries for it must be spread, but as it spreads it brings with it inflows of wealth across borders.
That is the whole idea of religious tourism.
So keep thy doors open to the gentiles if you are to enjoy their wealth during the day (Isaiah 60:11).
DN: How will your ministry use Meeting-Incentive-Conferences-Exhibition (MICE) to promote religious tourism.
WM: We are promoting Zimbabwe as a MICE destination, which is capable of holding international conference meetings and exhibitions.
This can help promote religious tourism as more tourists will visit the country.
Zimbabwe participates in five major shows that are held throughout the year.
These are the Indaba Expo in South Africa( held in May), the International Tourism Bourse in Germany (November), the China International Travel Mart (November), Japan Association of Travel Agents (September) and the World Travel Market in London (November).
All of these will market Zimbabwe as a safe tourist destination so as to attract foreign investors.
