The research by visiting scientists from Stockholm’s KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) and Barcelona’s UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) produced a popcorn effect. In their report, Opportunities for Sustainable Community Development of Ward 10 in Honde Valley, June 2017, one of the proposed projects is road infrastructure and mobility in the area.
The improvement of the rural roads in Ward 10 is beneficial to the whole community: reducing the time needed to reach Hauna’s market place; making easy access to health centres. Currently, it takes some 30 minutes to drive just some 11km from Masere Business Centre to Bvuma Turnoff where the road is tarred. It is pertinent to mention that accessibility and easy mobility by commercial and passenger transportation, ambulances and school children, are vital for socio economic development. Thus, it is essential to source technological and funding programs to create smooth and sustainable road networks
Fortune Development Centre as supported by the KTH-UPC report recognizes that the upgrade of roads is an activity that requires a high initial investment and ensures little to no revenues. However, the Social Tourism project being implemented would be capable of generating income and can attract a big chunk of development investment including in the hospitality industry while opening a gateway for the marketing of Zimbabwean arts and crafts.
Chief among the challenges affecting tourism growth in Zimbabwe is the poor state of roads in the tourist resorts and a non competitive tourism product that is not only “overpriced but old and tired”. Tourists are looking for new tourist destinations. Current statistics show that Zimbabwe is the second fastest growing tourism industry in the world, second only to China. The volume of tourism traffic has improved from 1.7 million in 2012 to 2.1 million in 2016 and by the end of 2020 the country is forecast to receive 2.5 million tourist arrivals.
Fortune DC’s vision is grounded on the ability to recognize opportunities to enhance visitor experience and to act on those opportunities that acknowledge tourism as an economic pillar that has registered significant growth from $200 million in 2009 to an estimated billion-dollar industry that it is today. The discovery of rock paintings in Mutsamba Village has added to the impetus for the development of Honde Valley as an eco-tourist destination. The rock paintings are said to date back some 6,000 years. There are three different locations with these magnificent rock paintings in this 15 hectare area which is still free from environmental degradation and should be developed into a “national nature reserve”.
Rural development planners need to put the concept of mobility at the top of the agenda when designing the infrastructure of tomorrow. Smart mobility solutions can be a steppingstone for economic growth mobility is the end solution, infrastructure the means. In connecting people and goods, knowledge and innovation, cities and regions, mobility is pivotal not only for developing efficient livable cities but as concerned with rural areas; and for attracting manpower training, job creation and investments.
