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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau

The three-nation Tour de Tuli tourism expedition tour which draws visitors from across the globe and is held in the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA) roared into life yesterday.

The Mega Park struts three countries — Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa — comprising the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (Botswana), Tuli National Park and Maramani Communal lands (Zimbabwe) and the Mapungubwe National Park (South Africa).

The expedition, which involves mountain bike tours and seeks to market the GMTFCA as one of the best tourist resorts in the Sadc region, ends on Sunday.

The cyclists pass through three countries during the course of the event.

The participants were drawn from countries like the United States, Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Zimbabwe.

The event has been running for the past 15 years and is jointly organised by the governments of Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.

Zimbabwe joined in 2009.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority spokesperson Mr Godfrey Koti said the huge contingent of tourists would enter Zimbabwe and leave on Thursday for Botswana.

“The tour combines a lifetime adventure, amazing scenery and a pristine wildlife as cyclists ride between 60km and 80km a day around the Tuli circle,” he said.

“The cycling adventure has been an adventure with a purpose of managing to raise funds for Children in the Wilderness which centres on skills such as team building, leadership, communication, HIV/AIDS prevention, health and nutrition, and literacy, while also teaching children about tracking, conservation, anti-poaching, geography and geology.

“Tour de Tuli over the years has hosted business executives, tourism journalists and opinion leaders, who to a destination such as Zimbabwe are important stakeholders who can contribute immensely to destination perception management.”

ZTA chief operating officer Mr Givemore Chidzidzi said Zimbabwe was one of the few African countries working on opening up more opportunities for international travel programmes.

He said the country has been receiving a number of awards in recognition of its efforts in boosting tourism development.

“Active participation in sporting activities such as the Tour de Tuli ride is one of many ways in which people choose to experience places and people as part of tourism practices,” he said.

“We are one of the few African countries working to open up more opportunities for international travel and we are very excited by the endorsement we have received so far by being conferred with international awards.

“We do hope that the international participants of Tour de Tuli will also contribute positively through telling a Zimbabwean story when they return to their countries.”