Views and Perceptions of Residents on Township Tourism Development: Empirical Evidence from Epworth, Highfields and Mbare

Township tourism to a certain degree has been in existence in Zimbabwe since the attainment of independence from colonial rule in 1980. It has however not been well organized to become meaningful and sustainable for the benefit of ordinary local residents.  In the 1980’s it was in the form of Harare City tours that included such areas as Mbare and Mupedzanhamo Markets in Mbare high density suburb as well as the balancing rocks in Epworth high density township. The selection and   inclusion of some houses in the high density suburb of Highfields, that were formerly occupied by liberation war heroes and nationalists and turning them into tourist facilities can therefore not be said to be the beginning of township tourism in Zimbabwe. This paper suggests that, the direction taken by authorities in October 2012 did not take into account all the aspects of pro-poor tourism development nor did it respect all the necessary steps towards the enhancement of responsible and sustainable community development. The research conducted in the township of Highfields found out that over 90% of the locals were unable to appreciate how they could effectively benefit from this initiative. The research also identified some knowledge gaps resulting from lack of effective sensitization and buy-in from the local communities. Researchers recommend some steps that could be considered to strengthen the foundation laid and to ensure acceptability and sustenance of tourism activities in the community. The study contributes to the fundamental issues of sustainable tourism development and recommends best practices that accommodate responsible township tourism in developing nations.