By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Ministry will soon repackage and value add the now popular Mapfura wine from the indigenous Mapfura trees which are unique to Zimbabwean environments as part of Gastronomy Tourism.
Gastronomy Tourism is rapidly growing in this day and age adding to the attractiveness of destinations.
Speaking at provincial Cookout Competition in Bindura Thursday, Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi said unique Heritage was an enabler and provider of unique Food varieties, thereby forming the basis of gastronomy tourism.
She said when tourists when they visit destinations they want to eat and, in most cases, they are after traditional dishes which are different from other destinations.
“We are going to assist in repackaging, branding and value add Mapfura Wine which is gaining popularity in Spain and Germany. When tourists taste the Mapfura Wine they always ask for more and previously we used to give them a taster now we want to bottle the wine and take the bottles outside the country so that we are able to give them the whole bottle which they will enjoy at their homes. When their friends visit them and ask where the Mapfura Wine is from they will be told its from Zimbabwe. So, we want to take pride in our product and be able to market it outside the country,” Minister Rwodzi said.
She said more often than not Zimbabwean men buy high-end whiskeys and wines such as Gelnfiddich and Hennessey at airports and it was about time tourists do the same with Mapfura Wine.
This comes as Bindura University of Science Education is in the process of making juices, jam and skin products from Masawu fruit in Zimbabwe.
Still on national pride, Minister Rwodzi urged Zimbabwean to preserve their culture through national dress.
“When I wear my long national dressed and all covered up, I get compliments that I look good and yet it is not the same when I put on a mini-skirt because it suits white ladies better than us. It is the same with heels of which I am yet to liberate myself from that, heels look better when worn by white people not us,” she said to wild applauses.
The national fabric which resembles our national heritage is selling at US$4 per metre making it affordable to all and sundry in the spirit of leaving no one behind.
This year’s edition of Community Provincial Traditional Cookout Competitions are a key part of gastronomy tourism development and promotion.
The Traditional Cookout programme is a concept which was introduced by Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr A. Mnangagwa in 2019 through her intelligent and visionary leadership.
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