The Sunday Mail
Ishemunyoro Chingwere
Business Reporter
TOURIST arrivals into Zimbabwe’s premier tourist destination, Victoria Falls, registered a marginal decline in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year as tourists reacted to the violent protests that engulfed parts of the country early this year. However Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo said the authority was confident of a rebound that will result in surpassing last year’s figures.
Statistics from the Zimparks show that in the first three months of this year 57 815 visitors paid to enter into the majestic Victoria Falls rainforest compared to 59 033 during the same period in 2018, representing a two percent decline.
With Government working to achieve Vision 2030, by which time Zimbabwe should be an upper middle income economy, earnings from tourism and other key sectors like mining and agriculture are expected to drive progress towards this goal.
To this end, and in response to Government interventions, tourist arrivals who reached a record high in 2018, started on a positive note with 20 958 visitors paying their way into the Victoria Falls rain forest in January compared to 19 594 the previous year.
That this year’s January arrivals surpassed the preceding year’s, despite the January clashes that saw some shops being looted clean and several businesses closing shop, is a sign of the progress that had been made prior to the violence.
“Tourism is largely a sentiment based industry,” said Mr Farawo, “it’s anchored on one’s need to escape from the troubles of everyday life and so nobody will seek to visit where there is violence.
“We had started the year on a very positive note having built on the momentum from 2018 which is premised on the aura around destination Zimbabwe that has been ushered in by the coming in of the new dispensation under President Mnangagwa.
“Going forward, I think as a people let us support the President’s call for peace and economic development as this is a key ingredient to tourism.
“From our projections and indications now, we are confident that tourists take advantage of the peace and tranquillity that has been restored in the country and will continue visiting the Victoria Falls and other must visit destinations in the country,” said Mr Farawo.
International visitors remain the mainstay of the Victoria Falls after 39 251 visitors from beyond the African continent paid their way into the rainforest although the figure is slightly less than that for the first quarter of 2018 when 40 679 visited.
Mr Farawo also reiterated that the authority was not planning an upward review of access fees into the Victoria Falls as has been widely circulated in sections of the media.
“We really don’t know where this “price hike” is coming from. People should be guided by the fact that as an authority we get direction from Government.
“Government is on record saying we need to price right our tourism products so that we are able to compete on the international pedestal and be able to lure even more tourists to our destination, so with this in mind, a price hike is out of the question,” he said.
