Staff Writer
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has highlighted the growing contribution of religious institutions to Zimbabwe’s Culture and Heritage Tourism Cluster, saying faith-based communities are creating opportunities to promote indigenous cuisine, cultural knowledge and traditional practices through religious and gastronomy tourism.
The authority said this was demonstrated at the inaugural Muslim Cookout Competition held at Thompson Masjid Mosque in Mahusekwa, Mashonaland East Province, which was officiated by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, the Patron of Tourism and Zimbabwe’s Culture and Heritage Ambassador.
According to the ZTA, the event brought together members of the Muslim community through a showcase of traditional delicacies, cultural teachings, a Nhanga session and a fashion exhibition celebrating Zimbabwean identity and cultural diversity.
The authority said the initiative demonstrated how religious platforms could be used to promote cultural heritage while creating tourism and economic opportunities for local communities.
The event also resonates with the National Gastronomy Tourism Strategy 2026–2030, which provides a framework for positioning Zimbabwe’s diverse culinary heritage as a distinctive tourism product.
The ZTA said the strategy seeks to create economic opportunities for communities by promoting indigenous foods, preserving traditional culinary knowledge and strengthening local participation in the tourism value chain.
It added that the growing participation of faith-based communities in gastronomy initiatives could help preserve indigenous food knowledge, nurture culinary enterprises and strengthen social inclusion.
The authority said religious institutions had an important role to play in expanding community participation in tourism while showcasing the country’s cultural diversity.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to position Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage as a key component of its tourism offering under the national identity themes of #NhakaYedu, #IlifaLethu and #OurHeritage.