Wildlife tourism, a great tool in marketing destination Kariba -ZTA 

Admore Mbonda in Kariba

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority ZTA has said abundance of wildlife in Kariba was a great tool in marketing the destination as a tourists hotspot.

Speaking to Mash west times Monday, ZTA Regional Manager for Mashonaland West province, Tapiwa Mpofu said wildlife was one of the wonders that Zimbabwe has thus Kariba has to capitalize through the resource.

"Basically wildlife is one of the wonders we have in Zimbabwe,”said Mpofu.

"The fact that we have abundance of wildlife in Kariba is a plus for us, as tourists can encounter with wild animals like elephants, buffalos, zebras and others anywhere, anytime.

"What needs to be done is to educate the local people on living in harmony with these wild animals so as not to provoke them, because you never know, given enough dedication we might end up having activities like elephant riding and many more.

Mpofu added that the onus was upon the community to take part in promoting this destination as well, because the truth of the matter is everyone in Kariba should think tourism, speak tourism, walk tourism and if the local people become custodians of this industry, huge gains will be made as far as tourism is concerned.

Wildlife tourism also encourages the development of impoverished communities by bringing steady revenue and jobs to the local economies. In Kenya, the Northern Rangelands Trust employs more than 1,000 Kenyans, providing them with security, healthcare and education. Moreover, the Trust gives them skills they can transfer to other areas of employment if they so choose. Thus, wildlife tourism offers many families a bright future they otherwise wouldn`t have had.

In addition to benefiting the people and the local economy, sustainable wildlife tourism also funds conservation efforts. At the Northern Rangelands Trust, almost 30% of their revenue comes from tourism. This funding helps them provide sanctuary for elephants, protect endangered species, monitor wildlife and boost local animal populations. This money also aids them in training and raising leaders within the community who will5 work to conserve local wildlife for many years beyond.

Over the last decade, nature-based tourism has become increasingly popular. In total, wildlife tourism now supports nearly 22 million jobs worldwide and contributes more than USD120 billion to global GDB.