By Isdore Guvamombe

ZIMBABWE has won an international excellence award, the Golden Award for the Tourism, Hotel and Catering Industry, New Millennium, for its tourism marketing development and promotion efforts, while five more companies and a Cabinet minister have been nominated by Africa Investor for the 2010 Tourism Investment Awards slated for next week.

Zimbabwe scooped the 35th edition of the award after exhibiting in Madrid, Spain. The award also comes hardly a week after Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke was elected first vice president of the newly formed Africa Tourism Promotion Initiative.

The Golden Award was handed over to Mr Kaseke by the president of the World Trade Leaders Club, Mr Arsenio Pardo Rodriguez.

ZTA was the only tourist body to win the international award for its achievements, prestige, innovation and excellence in tourism marketing and development.

In an interview, ZTA public relations manager Mr Sugar Chagonda said Zimbabwe felt honoured for its outstanding efforts.

"This is yet another achievement for us as the vanguard of the tourism industry in Zimbabwe. It comes at a time when our chief executive Mr Kaseke has been elected first vice president of the newly formed African Initiative.

"This is in recognition and endorsement of our marketing strategies underpinned by celebrity hosting programmes under the perception management scheme and attending international travel and tourism expositions,’’ said Mr Chagonda.

Meanwhile, international investment research and communication company Africa Investor has nominated Rainbow Tourism Group (Hospitality Management Team of the Year Award), African Sun (Best Hotel Investment Award), Shamwari Game Reserve (Best Sustainable Tourism Investment Award), ZTA (Best Tourism Promotion Agency Award) and Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi (Tourism Minister of the Year Award) for the 2010 International Tourism Investment Awards to be held in Harare next week.

AI tourism investment awards were created to showcase Africa’s opportunities and achievements in the tourism sector and the global investment community.

"These awards are the only initiative designed to recognise the achievement of those businesses, governments, organisations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the growth of sustainable tourism investment in Africa," said Professor Geoffrey Lipman, special advisor to the secretary general of the World Tourism Organisation.

The AI awards ceremony coincides with the Africa Investor Pan African Tourism Investment Summit to be held in Harare from February 15-17.

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