Story by Theophilus Chuma
Five years into the ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’ mantra at the behest of the Second Republic, the initiative continues to garner support and keen interest from the international community, with the International Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany becoming the latest European-based organisation to express interest to put its footprint in Zimbabwe.
This comes as the institution appointed Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry on its Advisory Board, which has among its think tanks former US President, Mr Barack Obama.
International Cultural Diplomacy Director, Mr Mark Dionfried noted this linkage provides a campus to broaden the scope of investments into Zimbabwe.
Mr Dionfried said, “We are looking at expanding into Zimbabwe and possibly identify areas where we can invest in the country. Zimbabwe’s tourism has an exciting story and we believe we can do more if we invest in its sector.”
This expression of interest builds on the investment appetite created under the Second Republic, which has attracted a number of global firms across key sectors such as mining and agriculture.
The conducive operating environment enabled by the Second Republic under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa augurs well with the aspirations of the investors.
Mr Dionfried added, “Zimbabwe is a good destination for investment and has interesting cultural diversity which is very unique.”
Germany is one of the anchor source markets for Zimbabwe’s tourism sector, contributing significantly to international arrivals.
