By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
September has widely been declared Tourism Month in Zimbabwe and with it comes several activities lined up to celebrate everything tourism from culture, food, people, arts to heritage.
Dubbed as the Tourism Month to raise awareness on the importance of Tourism by organising a number of activities that build-up to the main World Tourism Day celebrations on 27 September. The theme for this year’s World Tourism Day is “Tourism and Peace”.
The celebrations are coming on the background of renewed global tourism recovery with Zimbabwe also experiencing significant growth over the 2023/2024 period.
The first half of the year saw the country’s tourism sector demonstrating significant growth, with international arrivals increasing by 27% to 751,483, up from 592,567 in the same period in 2023.
The Tourism Month will be concluded by the World Tourism Day Main Celebrations on 27 September 2024 at Gandavaroyi Gorge, in Gokwe Gumunyu Constituency, a hidden gem in Midlands Province.
The Main Celebrations are hosted by Provinces on rotational basis and this year Midlands Province is the host of 2024 World Tourism Day.
And Harare will not be left out what with the Bira reMbira slated for 27 September 2024 at Gwanzura Stadium.
Several top mbira artists the likes of Jah Prayzah, Diana Mangwenya, Andy Muridzo, Hope Masike who also celebrated her birthday this month, Nyamasvisva, Amadhuve Sasha, Kurai Makore, Vee Mhofu and Gushungo will be performing.
The bira is put together by Jive, Chipaz Promotions in partnership with the Zimbabwean government.
Partson Chimbodza aka Chipaz said by bringing the Bira reMbira to Gwanzura they wanted more people to attend and enjoy.
“September is also a mbira month where Zimbabwe celebrates the recognition made by Unesco to the traditional instrument Mbira as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity accorded to Zimbabwe and Malawi.
“So, any artist who fuses this instrument fits to be part of the line-up. Festival manager is Benjie Nyandoro and on logistics we have Diana Samkange and I am the brains behind. Choosing Gwanzura we want to be close to people and it has a historical story to tell on another day,” Chipaz said.
Tickets are going for US$5 for standard, VIP US$10 and VVIP US$50.
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