CAVE TOURISM AS AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND HERITAGE PRESERVATION: INSIGHTS FROM CHIRORODZIVA CALABASH FESTIVAL

Globally, there has been a gradual realisation of caves potential in stimulating sustainable tourism growth and heritage preservation. Zimbabwe has a rich heritage of caves, with the Chirorodziva[1] Caves in Chinhoyi being the most prominent ones. However, most of these caves remain unexplored and untapped for tourism growth. Cave tourism has at best generally remained understudied and undervalued. This study carried out at Chirorodziva Calabash,explores how cave tourism can be a panacea to sustainable heritage tourism development and heritage preservation. The article is qualitative, combining testimonial methodology, literature review, print and electronic articles, observation and expert views. Results of this study indicate that the development of a sustainable cave tourism product can serve as a text for opportunities such as; state-local communities’ partnership in management and conservation of cave resources; preservation of cultural resources around them; cave tourism as an alternative livelihood for local communities, increased tourism revenue and tourism product diversification. &nbsp

Methodological complexities in the study of health tourism: A study of the appropriation of indigenous herbal sexual stimulants and fertility enhancers in Zimbabwe (A review paper)

The study of health tourism based on the consumption of traditional herbal sexual stimulants and fertility enhancers is an exceptional ordeal. Research 10 in this field has proved methodologically complex as the population constitute the hard-to-reach group (hidden populations). Consumers of these traditional herbal prescriptions generally are floating populations and socially invisible thus getting hold of them poses major methodological complexities. This paper focuses on highlighting the issues underlying the study of hidden populations, with a particular focus on tradi- 15 tional herbalists and the consumers of indigenous sexual stimulants and fertility enhancers. Certain specific methodological challenges are faced by researchers working with hidden populations, and this paper explores these in the field of health tourism based on the consumption of indigenous herbal medicine. Particular focus is paid to the methodological challenges involved. The paper’s main contribution is to highlight and emphasize the methodological problems that emerge whenstudying socially invisible populations and to showcase the inadequacy of some existing methods to recruit these hidden populations

A situational analysis of health tourism for appropriation of indigenous herbal sexual stimulants and fertility enhancers in Zimbabwe: A situational analysis paper

In Zimbabwe, health tourism for the sake of gaining access to herbal substances for sexual and fertility enhancement remains both undocumented and shrouded in myths. The significance of indigenous herbal medicine practice in stimulating medical tourism growth has remained understudied, undervalued and unappreciated. Seemingly, research has paid very little attention to this branch of health tourism based on traditional medical practice. The pharmacological properties of the various indigenous herbal medicine prescribed, dispensed and consumed under health tourism remains scientifically unassessed and not much is known about the nature of the tourist traffic whose main purpose of travel is the consumption of these indigenous herbal substances for sexual stimulation and/or fertility enhancement. As a result the commercial potential of indigenous sexual stimulants and fertility enhancement herbs remains uncharted both for health tourism and the health sector in general in Zimbabwe. This situational analysis paper sought to clarify the knowledge on the medical tourism market place concerning indigenous herbal medicine for sexual stimulants and/or fertility enhancers. The paper also maps out what has been achieved within the herbal medical tourism industry. Specifically the paper explores the medical tourism entrepreneurial potential and highlights the knowledge gap concerning herbal medicine and health tourism development based on these traditional herbal medicines and highlight areas for further research