'S.A and Botswana drop Yellow Fever requirements for Zambia travellers

THE Tourism Council of Zambia (TCZ) is pleased that South Africa and Botswana have finally agreed to drop yellow fever certification as a requirement for travellers from Zambia, following the World Health

Organisation (WHO) declaring Zambia a yellow fever free zone.

TCZ chairperson Felix Mulenga said the decision which was long-awaited, would significantly increase international tourist arrivals.

South Africa is Zambia's leading source market for international arrivals, accounting for around 20.1 per cent of total arrivals in 2013.

Health Minister Joseph Kasonde announced on Monday this week that South Africa and Botswana had with immediate effect lifted the requirements of yellow fever certification for travellers from Zambia.

Mr Mulenga said in an interview that the removal of the yellow fever certification for travellers from South Africa or through South Africa to Zambia would significantly improve the tourist arrivals from that country.

"We are happy that South Africa and Botswana have decided to drop their demands on the yellow fever certification because this was creating a negative impact on the growth of the tourism sector in

Zambia. As you know South Africa is an important market for Zambia and currently is Zambia's leading source market for tourists," Mr Mulenga said.

In 2013, the Southern Africa region recorded total arrivals of more than 22 million representing a market share of global arrivals of approximately 2.5 percent and a 39.9 percent share of Africa's total arrivals.

South Africa accounted for 191,048 tourist arrivals in the year under review, followed by Tanzania with 184,187.

Mr Mulenga said the yellow fever issue was an impediment to tourist arrivals as it affected the growth of the sector and that with the new development Zambia would attracted desired levels of tourists and compete favourably in the region and beyond.

Source: S.A, Botswana Yellow Fever Move Welcome (28/01/15)

South Africa urged to review Yellow Fever requirements

THE Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) has urged the Government to expedite the yellow fever impasse with the South Africa following the declaration of Zambia as yellow fever-free zone by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Zambian authorities had since written to their South African counterparts and were currently awaiting a response on the issue. South Africa is one of the countries where travellers from Zambia were required to possess yellow fever certification documents upon entry into that country.

LTA chairperson Alex Mutali said it was important for the Government to implement the resolutions that were made by WHO because it was impacting negatively on the growth of the tourism sector.

Mr Mutali said the yellow fever requirement was also impacting on the performance of the Universal Visa (Univisa) which was jointly launched almost a month ago by Zambia and Zimbabwe.

He said travellers passing through South Africa into Zimbabwe and Zambia were required to have a yellow fever certificate despite them having a Univsa.

"Government must move with speed on this issue and engage South Africa. You must understand that South Africa is into competition with us and the Ministry of Health must act fast to resolve this issue.

It is no longer a WHO issue but an issue between Zambia and South Africa, even travelers with the Univsa are restricted from entering Zambia because they are required to pay an extra US$100 for the yellow fever certification," Mr Mutali said.

He said the yellow fever certification requirement was working against Zambia and making the country an expensive tourism destination.

According to Zambia Tourism Board, the removal of the yellow fever vaccination certificate requirement by South Africa increase international tourist arrival figures by at least 10 per cent.

Source: All Africa, 27/12/14

Zimbabwe - Zambia tourism cooperation: Victoria Falls bridge open border policy a hoax?

The view of the globe was on Zimbabwe and Zambia in August of 2013. The focus was on having the global travel and tourism industry and government leaders attend and participate at the UNWTO General Assembly. This high-profile event was jointly hosted by both Zimbabwe and Zambia, and delegates attended events in both countries and stayed in hotels in both countries.

The short drive over the famous Victoria Falls bridge took 5 minutes. There was no border control, no customs - delegates hardly noticed they were changing countries many times during the assembly.

Both the presidents and vice presidents and both tourism ministers for both nations attended and spoke at this important United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly.

The bridge connecting both countries was open. The president of Zimbabwe and the president of Zambia called the opening of the bridge an historic moment and pledged to work together to keep this bridge open to make travel and tourism between Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Livingston, Zambia easier in the future.

Tourists would be able to enjoy this wonder of the world without delay and experience it as one attraction.
This idea was echoed by the secretary General of UNWTO and many other tourism leaders.

A year and a half later this seems to have been wishful thinking.

Here is a report from a tourist that recently visited beautiful Victoria Falls.

While visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, we walked across the Victoria Falls Bridge to Zambia. This sounds easy enough to do, but while planning the trip there was a lot of conflicting information about what visas and vaccinations are necessary in order to do this. This may not be the most exciting post, but I am trying to make a clarification for those who have the same questions we did.

We visited Victoria Falls in August 2014. We made this trip as a day trip from Kasane, Botswana, hiring a driver for the day. We chose not to drive into Zimbabwe from Botswana as we read from countless sources that taking a rental car into Zimbabwe is a hassle that is just not worth it.

Our family of six left Kasane at 8 am. The Kazungula border post is located just ten minutes from Kasane. This is the border crossing to take in order to get to Victoria Falls from Kasane.

The first step is to clear customs and immigration on the Botswana side, which is very quick and straightforward. This requires a quick visit into the border control office to get your passport stamped. From here you get back into your car, drive thirty seconds across the border, then clear customs and immigration on the Zimbabwe side. Here is where things slow down. In the morning there are usually large groups of tourists heading to Victoria Falls, so be prepared to wait a half hour or longer to get through this part. It took us one hour to clear customs in both countries.

In order to enter Zimbabwe, a visa will have to be purchased, and there is the option of a single entry or double entry visa. If you are planning on only walking across the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia without entering Livingstone, Zambia, only the single entry visa is necessary. If you plan on entering Livingstone, Zambia (going through customs in Zambia) and later re-entering Zimbabwe, then a double entry visa is necessary. We purchased the double entry visa just so we were covered, at a price of $45 USD per person. A single entry visa costs $30 USD. As it would turn out, only a single entry visa was necessary for what we wanted to do.

From the Botswana Zimbabwe border it is a one hour drive to Victoria Falls.

The Victoria Falls Bridge is located outside of Victoria Falls National Park. To walk across the bridge, park in the lot across from the main entrance to the park, make a right out of the parking lot, and walk ten minutes down the road toward the bridge.

Before being allowed to walk onto the bridge it is necessary to clear customs on the Zimbabwe side, since technically you will be entering Zambia halfway across the bridge. You will be given a piece of paper stamped with the Zimbabwe stamp. Keep this piece of paper because this gets you back into Zimbabwe.

From here, walk across the bridge, enjoy views of Victoria Falls and go bungee jumping if your heart desires. Halfway across the bridge is the Zambia border. It is a ten minute walk from the bridge into Zambia to reach their border post.

Once you are finished visiting the bridge, present the stamped piece of paper at border control to re-enter Zimbabwe and you are on your way.

In summary, to just stand on the Victoria Falls Bridge, only a single entry Zimbabwe visa ($30 USD) is necessary. Once at the Victoria Falls border post you will be given a piece of paper with a stamp on it that will get you back into Zimbabwe from the Victoria Falls Bridge.

If you choose to pass through border control in Zambia and later want to re-enter Zimbabwe, you must purchase a double entry visa ($45 USD) for Zimbabwe. Later in your trip, if you plan on entering South Africa, you must also have your Yellow Fever Vaccination. Without this vaccination, you will not be allowed to enter South Africa if you have been to Zambia.

Source: Zimbabwe - Zambia tourism cooperation: Victoria Falls bridge open border policy a hoax? (25/01/15)

Zambia declared free of Yellow Fever by WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Zambia a yellow fever-free zone after stating that travellers from Zambia to other countries do not require vaccination certificates for the disease to enter other countries in the world.

 Dr Kasonde, the Zambian Health Minister, said the Government had since written to South Africa and Botswana to relook at their demands for certification from travellers from Zambia.

Scientific findings by the WHO conducted in Zambia in 2013 had proved that there was low yellow fever potential exposure status as communicated by the body's director general to the Ministry of Health.

"This means that travellers from Zambia do not need vaccination certificates for yellow fever in order to enter any country in the world. Of course, the final decisions are made by respective countries. We have written to South African and Botswana governments drawing their attention to the scientific findings and we await their responses," Dr Kasonde said.

Source:  AllAfrica 18/12/14