The First Lady of Zimbabwe, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, was recognised by UNWTO Secretary General Zurub Pololikashvili for “championing gastronomy tourism” in the country and region at the eighth UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in San Sebastián, Spain, over the weekend.

Mnangagwe took University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Mapfumo, and students from three other universities in the country with her to experience and learn about gastronomy. 

“We will push gastronomy tourism to greater heights through agriculture, empowerment of rural communities and in collaboration with the university’s Innovation and Industrial Hubs for Standardization and Certification of all the raw materials,” Zimbabwe Tourism said in a press release.

At the forum, Pololikashvili said: “Gastronomy tourism can play a leading role in promoting responsible agricultural practices, protecting biodiversity and reducing the environmental footprint. It can also create new opportunities for communities to thrive, protect their heritage and traditions, and become an engine of growth and diversification for destinations supporting our roadmap towards sustainable development goals.”