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Vice President Joice Mujuru greets the president of the European Union Council on Tourism and Trade, who is also the head of the EU delegation visiting Zimbabwe Mr Anton Caragea, while chairman of the trade committee Mr Mihai Prundianu and Mr Loan Matei look on at her Munhumutapa offices in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Regis Nyandima)

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
visiting European Union Council on Tourism and Trade executives yesterday said they were not bound by the Western bloc’s foreign policy to isolate Zimbabwe as theirs was to reward countries with best tourist destinations without meddling in political issues. EUCTT president Professor Anton Caragea, said Zimbabwe needed to be rewarded for being endowed with the best tourist attractions, describing Harare as the “Jewel” of Africa.

He said this while addressing journalists soon after paying a courtesy call on Vice President Joice Mujuru and Senior Minister of State Simon Khaya Moyo separately, at their Munhumutapa offices.

The council, which consists of 27 tourism organisations, chose Zimbabwe as the best tourism destination for 2014 as well as the world’s most preferred cultural destination after the country successfully hosted the United Nations World Tourism Organisation conference in August 2013.

Prof Caragea said they were not bound by EU’s policies, one of which was to isolate Zimbabwe for taking a stand to empower its citizens in various ways.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “This is not, in my opinion, related. We are a non-governmental organisation and we are nowhere related to Government. We have come here only to praise the culture of Zimbabwe, the tourism legacy, to promote the tourism in Zimbabwe and this is absolutely mandatory.

“We are not interested in politics except politics of friendship, politics of cooperation and collaboration.”

The EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe after Harare embarked on a land reform programme aimed at correcting historical land imbalances by redistributing the land to the black majority.

Prof Caragea said political events that occurred in the West did not affect their operations hence the decision to confer Zimbabwe with the awards which he said Harare duly deserved.

“We have not heard any tourism embargoes,” he said. “This is a free and perfect tourist destination. Zimbabwe is absolutely a jewel and gem of Africa.”

In the group’s meetings with both VP Mujuru and Minister Khaya Moyo, Prof Caregea congratulated Zimbabwe for its successful co-hosting of the UNWTO.

He also thanked Zimbabwe’s leadership for supporting the Tourism and Hospitality Ministry led by Minister Walter Mzembi, in their promotion activities.

Minister Khaya Moyo commended the five-member delegation and the council for recognising Zimbabwe’s tourism endowment.

Minister Mzembi, his ministry’s secretary Mrs Florence Nhekairo and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke and other senior Government officials attended the meetings.