PICTURE: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is promoting festivals as a key part of cultural tourism. Insert: ZTA Head of Festival and Events Mrs Annastancia Moyo
CULTURAL tourism can be described as travel that is directed towards experiencing the arts, crafts, heritage and environs of a place or a specific ethnic group or people.
Cultural tourists usually experience the cultural activities away from one’s own homeland. This might be in the same country of even abroad. Motivation factor for such visits may be educational or even leisure.
Zimbabwe has been benefitting from wildlife and heritage tourism for quite a long time. Scores of local and foreign tourists have been flocking vast wildlife reserves like Hwange, Gonarezhou, Matopos national parks in Hwange, Chiredzi and Bulawayo respectively.
Heritage sites like the Great Zimbabwe monuments in Masvingo and the mighty Victoria Falls in Victoria Falls, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, have been and are still commanding a huge cultural tourist inflow.
At the turn of this decade, Zimbabwe started to focus on another aspect of cultural tourism: festivals and events.
Unlike in the 1990s when only one festival, Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) made headlines, currently there are more than 30 festivals held in the country. Most of them are targeted at sub culture tourists.
HIFA served high culture tourists. Artists and the dances performed there had no flavour for the sub culture groups. By end of day, sub culture tourists had no festival of their own.
As an alternative, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) introduced and approved various sub culture festivals. The most popular at the turn of the millennium was the now defunct Chimanimani Arts Festival. Later, galas like Victoria Falls Carnival, The Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair and Harare International Carnival (HIC) come to life.
It was HIC, launched in the 2013, which posed as a serious replica and contender of HIFA. Both HIC and HIFA take place in Harare. The two commemorations invite artist(e)s from abroad to showcase on the Zimbabwe soil. The twin festivals are held for a week long period.
Unlike HIFA, Harare International Carnival wasn’t well received by its target group. Incorporation of Brazilian samba dancers who showcased half-naked in street procession, didn’t go well with some sections of Zimbabwean society, especially traditional and religious enthusiasts.
Even under attack, the first two HIC editions seemed to be well oiled and had rhythm. It was previous year’s edition which left a lot to be desired.
Firstly, the carnival had no official sponsor. Secondly the programming was done in a way that even cultural tourists ended up being confused. Its initial slotting of July was deferred for two months to September.
The September programming stretched for two weeks with some breaks in between events. Staying in a hotel or lodge for a consecutive two-week period posed challenges for many tourists and would-be tourists.
A parliamentary emotion then ensured after the carnival. Some legislators queried if the festival had relevance and benefited our economy. Minister of the responsible government arm, ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Engineer Walter Mzembi in response put across the house that although the 2015 carnival had challenges, the event was a key feature on our local tourism calendar.
This year, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is working flat out to perk up the festival. ZTA is already identifying artist(e)s and groups who shall perform at the 2016 edition of the carnival which shall take place from 14 to 17 September in Harare.
In an interview with this publication last week, ZTA Head of Festivals and Events, Mrs Annastancia Moyo revealed that the authority is improving in cultural tourism through promotion of huge and small festivals in the country.
Said Mrs Moyo: “Cultural tourism is very viable and fast growing. Festival and events are key in promoting Zimbabwe as a cultural tourism brand. We have so many talented artistes from rural communities whom we are incorporating to hold successful festivals especially Harare International Festival.
“We are attending other festivals in order to document and identify talent. All those who meet our selection criteria shall be given room to showcase at the Harare International Carnival.”
Mrs Moyo expressed faith in the success of this year’s edition of the carnival and encouraged both local and foreign tourists to attend the festival from 14 to 17 September this year.