INTERNATIONAL AVIATION TEAMEVALUATES ZIM AIRPORTS

Zimbabwe’s aviation sector continues to make headway in improving its standards and image, with a team from the International Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently in the country to assess airports around the country, in particular the three flagship airports RGMIA, VFIA, and the JMNIA.

The team was in the country for a week and led a workshop attended by stakeholders within the local air transport industry. The focus was to look at whether levels of compliance at our airports were in line with those of the first world concerning operational standards and health awareness.

With the mandate to strengthen global aviation, especially planning, and development, ICAO’s mandate has since the organisation’s formation decades ago, seen the global aviation sector rise in influence and capacity. The aviation industry organisation also wants member countries, especially around Africa, to prioritise compliance with international standards.

The ICAO team engaged members of the aviation sector on ways to strengthen the sector’s capacity and the importance of complying with global standards.

Tourism Innovation Challenge
2023 Open Call for Entries

Zimbabwean youths have sustainable ideas that can transform our tourism! They have demonstrated this since the commencement of the Tourism Innovation Challenge three years ago.

The competition is now calling for entries for the 2023 Tourism Innovation Challenge which opened on 15 March and will close on 15 May, thereby raising hopes among the target audience of ages 30 and below.

Harnessing Innovation for Sustainability is the theme of the third installment of the youth-focused and entrepreneurial competition. Since its launch in 2021, the competition has proved its worth as scores walked away with funding that has gone on to help in establishing winning projects. While the ICT-connected projects showcase the potential for commercial activity growth for Zimbabwe’s tourism industry, they also can help to create jobs.

The competition empowers young people and is expected to assist the country’s post-Covid recovery endeavours, as it seeks to bounce back from the low numbers of visitors experienced in the last three years. As a high number of youths demonstrate a strong appetite for innovation, Zimbabwe continues to experience new projects by young people and the tourism industry has not been left out. The youths have therefore been recognised as a segment of society that will eventually take Zimbabwe to the next level of tech-driven industrial growth and economic development.

Four prizes are given at the national level, while one is for the provincial level, allowing as many youths to participate.

How to participate in the challenge:

Stage 1. Call to Action / Submission

Upload a project proposal of not more than 1000 words with the focus on sustainable tourism on www.zimbabwetourism. net/innovation.

Submissions are open from 15 March to 15 May 2023 for youth participants aged 30 and below.

Stage 2. Selection Process (3 Phases)

1. Pre-Evaluation of Project Proposals. Project proposals relating to sustainable tourism are selected
2. Provincial Adjudication Process , Provincial Price
   USD $1000 , Selected projects in phase 1 will then
   be adjudicated online or physically by a panel of adjudicators drawn from the province, provincial winners are announced and proceed to the national finals.
3. National Adjudication Process, All the provincial winners will pitch their projects before a panel of national judges. National winners will then be selected.

Stage 3. The Grand Finale

Winners from the National Adjudication process will then be announced and awarded their prices.

1. 1ST US$5000, 2ND US$2,500, 3RD US$1,500
2. Incubation and mentorship programs for six months.
3. Other consolidated prizes

From DESTINATION ZW EDITION 3