Hilton, visual artists open tourism ties

TERENCE MISELO Writes

@SunZambia

Tourism in Zambia continues to reveal its potential as one of the key economic drivers. As such, a number of players are coming together to highlight Zambia’s tourism. One biggest player in showcasing Zambian tourism is the hotel industry and Hilton Garden Inn in Lusaka wants to take the lead in supporting and promoting tourism.

This is the main reason the hotel has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) with the Visual Arts Centre to help visual artists with a platform to promote their works and Zambian culture.

The MoU was signed between the two parties last Friday at Lusaka’s Hilton Garden Inn at Society Park with a view to creating a lasting relationship.

“ The decision to partner with the Zambia National Visual Arts Council to offer free space for aspiring and established Zambian artists to showcase their creative work to a larger audience was quickly reached. As a recent entrant and stakeholder in Lusaka’s business community, Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka desires to commit on a long term basis to support the arts sector in Zambia as a way to encourage and deepen the cultural appreciation of the general public,” said hotel general manager Kudzayi Nheweyembwa.

And the government has hailed the partnership which will among other things create a platform to also display artistic works at the hotel. Tourism and arts minister, Charles Banda, in a speech read on his behalf by the ministry director of arts, Monde Gwaba , said the new partnership is designed to enable the two organisations achieve a shared vision.

“ This supports government’s efforts to promote national development and social inclusiveness; reaffirming that as a nation we are united in diversity,” said Hon. Banda.

Meanwhile, artist and sculptor Gift Chiwaya is pleased that this opportunity will help him as a member of the arts center to showcase his works which have become the first to be displayed at the hotel.