PREPARATIONS for the fifth edition of the Kariba October Festival (KOF) have gathered momentum with the event set to run from October 20 to 22 in the resort town.
The festival, being organised by Zim Events, will open with a pre-party followed by boat cruise, parasailing, and game drive among other activities.
Zim Events organiser and director Bernard Chambati told NewsDay Life & Style that their long-term strategy is to develop the festival to become an annual event recognised both locally and internationally that will attract more tourists to Kariba hence taking more tourism stakeholders on board.
“Being a celebration festival, we want to have more activities and involve more tourism operators in Kariba and we are inviting corporates to come and support this year’s event,” Chambati said.
“KOF mainly targets youthful Zimbabweans that have disposable incomes to spend on vacation, mainly the working class and informally employed middle class that have disposable incomes. This includes social groups in the form of active boozers clubs, and other social media groups, mainly informal groups that are indeed introducing tourism to recreational activities.”
KOF has managed to become an annual event aimed at attracting and promoting domestic tourism.
“Going forward it will attract more international tourists, boat cruisers and stakeholders in Kariba. For all our events to be fruitful there is a need to have a strategic partnership with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and other tourism stakeholders in Kariba.
“This will enable and facilitate a holistic approach in terms of event pricing structure and marketing for the event,” he noted.
“This year we intend to have more activities and a big musical concert that will incorporate up-and-coming and established musicians in Kariba.
Kariba Tourism and Business Indaba co-ordinator Cephas Shonhiwa said the event had contributed immensely towards tourism development in the resort town and beyond.
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