The Zimbabwean government has been encouraged to fund the development of tourism facilities in rural areas.

Amagugu International Heritage Trust, an arts and cultural centre in Matobo, says the finance ministry should invest in improving and upscaling tourism infrastructure in rural areas, as it has been neglected.

Amagugu Heritage Trust Communications Officer, Mthokozisi Ndebele, told a parliamentary committee: “We will be happy if the Ministry of Finance can give enough funding to the Ministry of Arts to fund operations by tourism players in rural areas, especially in the arts and craft sector. The people, especially women, make a lot of art that has a good market among tourists but they have nowhere to work from. It is important for the government to invest in supporting ordinary citizens so that they empower themselves, earn money for themselves and the country.”

Lucia Mhlanza, a programmes officer, said in the rural areas there was a strong link between arts and tourism and the government must come up with an integrated approach to unlock the untapped potential.

“The rural areas have not been able to contribute much to the fiscus, yet they have that potential,” she said. “If the government can fund rural communities to develop their infrastructure, in terms of arts and tourism, this can unlock so much potential. In that way, a lot of people who have so far lived in the margins of the economy or totally out of it will be absorbed into the mainstream economy.”