International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) has partnered the with the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe pageant where the winner being appointed the ambassador for tourism and conservation in Zimbabwe and the United States of America.
The ICCF is an educational foundation for conservation based in Washington DC.
Addressing journalists at a media briefing, ICCF Vice President, Susan Lyles who is on a tour of the country ,said they were charmed by the level of conservation awareness in the country and thus they chose to partner with the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe Pageant.
Said Lyles “We got introduced to an initiative that we found too hard to resist and that is the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe. This is an initiative that we thought we could use to further put awareness to people from both worlds on the importance of conservation.
“So we are going to partner with the pageant and the winner will be ambassador of ICCF in Zimbabwe and America.”
She added that there is huge nexus between tourism and conservation hence the partnership.
“We understand that Miss Tourism will want to come to the United States and visit some iconic resources we have like the Niagara Falls and some places in New York. This will go a long way in furthering this sort of a campaign,” added Lyles.
She said financial assistance was imperative to achieve this campaign and said ICCF will work with its partners in ensuring that all the financial requirements are met so that the would be winner will have a chance to attend various tourism expos in the United States.
The visiting ICCF delegation also endorsed Zimbabwe’s candidature for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation secretary general post.
The patron of the Miss Tourism Pageant, Mrs Barbara Mzembi thanked the ICCF for the good gesture and said she hopes this is the beginning of a lifetime partnership that will go a long way of the conservation of the environment.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Dr Walter Mzembi has bemoaned the level of poaching in the world saying it is disheartening and urged everyone to play their part in making sure there is an end to poaching
“Poaching is now the number four contraband in the world and every day we wake to stories of poaching.so I’m hoping that this winner, wherever she is, will speak strongly against this scourge and we hope to see an end to poaching in the near future,” said Dr Mzembi.
Registration for this year’s edition of the Miss Zimbabwe Tourism are ongoing with deadline set at August 31.
