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Karikoga Kaseke

Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has dismissed as “unfortunate and regrettable” remarks by European Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe  Aldo Dell’Ariccia on tourism awards given to the country by an EU tourism body.
Ambassador Dell’Ariccia last week insinuated that Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Engineer Walter Mzembi misled the nation about three tourism awards Zimbabwe received from the EU Council on Tourism and Trade.

Zimbabwe scooped the best tourist destination and the favourite destination in the world for 2014. ZTA chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke said Ambassador Dell’Ariccia’s ignorance was surprising.

“I wish to reaffirm that there is completely nothing amiss about the two awards given to Zimbabwe by a division of the European Union, which is a council on tourism and trade,” he said.

Other countries that have received awards are Syria (2007), Turkey (2008), the United Arab Emirates (2011), South Korea (2010), Trinidad and Tobago (2012) and Laos (2013). Mr Kaseke said the awards spoke volumes about Zimbabwe given that the country had for long been under unjustified sanctions by the EU and the United States. He said the awarding authority emphasised safety, meaning Zimbabwe was rightly considered one of the safest destinations in the world.

The awards are offered to countries that are compliant with UN World Tourism Organisation standards, Unesco criteria and others established by the European Council on Tourism and Trade.
Zimbabwe is the first African country to be recognised by the awards body.