Vic Falls driver gets 2.5 yrs jail for failing to give way to Mugabe’s motorcade

Mr Trinity Gonongono of Victoria Falls town will spend the next 30 months in jail after he was convicted for failing to give way to President Robert Mugabe’s motorcade last week Thursday.

Gonongono (33) was charged with failure to comply with a lawful instruction given by the police when he appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa on Monday.

He was arrested by Mugabe’s guards when he failed to pull off the road to give way to the motorcade as specified in Zimbabwe road traffic regulations.

According to the highway code: “a driver is expected to pull off the road and stop to the extreme left of the road and remain stationary while a motorcade or an ambulance passes by.”

He pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to an effective 30 months in jail.

The prosecutor Mr Takunda Ndovorwi said Gonongono was driving a Toyota Lite Ace pickup truck with two passengers on board along Livingstone Way when he failed to give way to the President’s motorcade.

President Mugabe was in Victoria Falls on Thursday and Friday for the commissioning of the Victoria Falls International Airport.

Source: Zim driver gets 2.5 yrs jail for challenging Mugabe’s motorcade ()

New Vic Falls terminal set to boost tourist arrivals

The opening of a new terminal and upgrading of facilities at the Victoria Falls Airport will have a significant positive impact on international arrivals in Zimbabwe’s premier tourist destination, a senior executive with a top hotel has said.

Speaking after the recent commissioning of the $150 million Airport, Mr Glenn Stutchbury said it was essential for all stakeholders to take advantage of the development to increase the number of visitors to Victoria Falls and surrounding areas.

“We now have in place an international airport that can handle larger aircraft and greater numbers of aircraft arrivals and departures, so it is important for all stakeholders to examine what can and must be done to make this work for the travel and tourism sector, as well as the Zimbabwean economy as a whole,” he said.

The new international terminal has capacity to service 1,2 million people per annum and a new parallel 4 000m runway to cater for wide body aircraft in the class of Boeing 747.

Victoria Falls, is the epicentre of a 500 kilometre radius, which includes one of the great rivers of the world, the Zambezi, and a diverse number of wilderness areas ranging from the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in Botswana, Kafue National Park in Zambia, Hwange and Matusadona National Parks and Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.

“Civil aviation authorities must continue the search for new air services and in this regard we are delighted to hear that Ethiopian Airlines has already committed itself to a new scheduled service direct into Victoria Falls in 2017, using an aircraft much larger than we are used to seeing at the Victoria Falls Airport.

“This will help hospitality operators utilise more of the existing accommodation capacity, which has been underutilised for some time now. Should numbers grow to levels that demand it; operators could start thinking about projects to expand capacity.

This kind of scenario is one that involves increased income generation, greater levels of employment and a direct impact on the national economy,” Mr Stutchbury said.

He said Cresta Hotels had invested in Victoria Falls in 2014 in anticipation of the impact the airport project would have on visitors and now looked forward to increasing business at its Victoria Falls operation, Cresta Sprayview.

The hotel is aimed at the three to four-star market from local, regional and international sources, including leisure, business and conference segments of the source markets.

Mr Stutchbury said developments in neighbouring Botswana also gave cause for optimism about increased business levels in the entire tourist “playground” of northern Botswana, northern Zimbabwe, southern Zambia and eastern Namibia.

“At Maun, which is the gateway to the Okavango delta, developments are taking place at the airport to transform it into a major service facility for travellers heading there.

“As a result, we in Cresta are at an advanced stage of construction of a new hotel close to Maun, and this will also take advantage of increased capacity for arrivals from international and other source markets.”

He said Cresta had full confidence in the future of travel and tourism throughout Southern Africa, and was hopeful that obstacles to progress and development would be overcome, resulting in increased international interest in the whole area.

“Cresta has a footprint across three countries in the region — Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia — and is keen to see an increase in travel to the area that involves movement across borders and utilises the travel and tourism infrastructure of all three countries.

“Our marketing thrust highlights the ease and benefits of holidays that, for example, make us offer two primarily leisure hotels: Cresta Mowana in Kasane, Botswana, and Cresta Sprayview in Victoria Falls.

“We support regional tourism co-operation and that is why we have a presence in three different countries at the present time.”

Mr Stutchbury said any impediments to growth in this travel and tourism opportunity had to be identified and eliminated and Cresta would play its part in this process.

Source: New Vic Falls terminal set to boost tourist arrivals (29/11/16)

Further: Zim needs more hotels to complement new Vic Falls Airport (21/11/16)

New Vic Falls Airport a ‘game changer’

VICTORIA FALS-FRIDAY, November 18, was a historic day for the tourism industry in Zimbabwe as President Mugabe commissioned the new US$150 million Victoria Falls International Airport, which tourism operators in the country said was a game changer in making the country a regional tourist hub.

The Southern Times senior reporter Lovemore Ranga Mataire (L.R.M) spoke to Ross Kennedy (R.K), the chief executive officer of Africa Albida Tourism (ATT) about the new development. ATT is a regional tourism giant with interests in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

L.R.M: How will this airport benefit Zimbabwe in general and the Victoria Falls town in particular?

R.K: A new airport in any destination creates interest and awareness of the destination. In this case, that destination is Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe, as a country, benefits from that same exposure. We are aware from our close co-operation with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) that a number of renowned international airlines are in talks with them about routes into Victoria Falls International Airport, and some of those are at an advanced stage.

What will happen in due course, which may be a two- to five-year window, is that Victoria Falls will become the tourism gateway for the rest of Zimbabwe, and, indeed, the KAZA region.

L.R.M: How do you respond to sentiments that the airport is going to become a white elephant and that its construction was an unnecessary expenditure?

R.K: My response is mixed between, firstly, being utterly dismissive of such negativity, and, secondly, the fact that the engagement with international airlines and the global tourism industry has already created significant interest and excitement about the possibilities for Victoria Falls to become a second regional tourism hub.

OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, which is the current gateway airport for the region, is under severe stress for a variety of reasons, and for second time and repeat visitors to the continent the ability to bypass OR Tambo will be a significant plus in planning itineraries. Just imagine the potential cost and time saving of not having to land at OR Tambo and have a two- to five-hour wait for your connection, and all of the time and costs associated. Government policy on expenditure on infrastructure should always include all elements, of course, but this project will show and deliver long-term benefits to the country via the tourism sector.

L.R.M: In what way do you think the airport will be a game changer?

R.K: The airport is set to be a game changer because of the scale of the project and the fact that it can now handle long haul wide bodied jets, which in turn opens us up to entire new source markets. In addition, the potential for our existing markets to promote, sell and serve Zimbabwe even better adds further benefit. For example, let’s assume that Turkish Airlines decides to fly into Victoria Falls from Istanbul, the geographic location of Istanbul and its hub status in the European and international markets will offer direct long haul access that currently does not exist.

Imagine just three wide-bodied jets a week landing in Victoria Falls, each unloading 250 to 300 people from new destinations, the impact that has on occupancy and all the associated downstream economic benefits. The impact on employment alone will be significant.   

L.R.M: In what way do you think the introduction of the UNIVISA will benefit Zimbabwe?

R.K: The initial year-long roll out of the UNIVISA proved to be a meaningful positive with international source markets to whom it applied. Not only is there a cost saving involved, given that a British passport holder would pay US$80 to enter Zambia for a single entry, and the UNIVISA cost US$50 for both Zimbabwe and Zambia and is valid for a month.

Tourism thrives on user-friendliness and ease of doing business, and the UNIVISA clearly falls into that category, therefore, making it more attractive than other competitive destinations.

L.R.M: Briefly outline efforts that your group has done or is doing to attract visitors and to dispel negative perceptions about Zimbabwe being an unsafe tourism destination?

R.K: Africa Albida Tourism has worked tirelessly for 25 years to promote Zimbabwe to the world and our track record speaks for itself in that regard, be it our own corporate initiatives or joint industry initiatives such as gotovictoriafalls.com or the Best in the West packages with fellow tourism operators across Zimbabwe. We invest resources, time, energy and creativity into promoting our amazing country. Where I encounter negative perceptions about Zimbabwe they are usually related to the economy and what is happening on the ground, but as experienced at the World Travel Market in London just three weeks ago, not a single question or comment was raised about Zimbabwe being an unsafe tourist destination.

L.R.M: Briefly give an account of your entities and their uniqueness to visitors.

R.K: Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) is a Zimbabwe-owned hospitality group with a portfolio of world-class properties in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and Chobe, Botswana. AAT’s hotels, lodges and restaurants are renowned for capturing the very essence of Africa in iconic destinations and luxurious surrounds for that unforgettable safari experience.

AAT’s flagship property is the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, which has been voted the Best Safari Lodge/Resort Hotel in Zimbabwe for 20 consecutive years by the Association of Zimbabwe Travel Agents. It is situated just 4km from one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and, built on a plateau, offering unrivalled views of sunsets and pristine bushveld, including a wildlife-rich waterhole.

Other properties are the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge the exclusive Victoria Falls Safari Club, the Victoria Falls Safari Suites, which are ideal for families and close-knit groups seeking space, comfort and privacy, and the self-catering Lokuthula Lodges. In addition, there is The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show, a must-do legendary experience, specialising in traditional African dining, drumming and dancing.

In Botswana, we have the Ngoma Safari Lodge. Located on the edge of Botswana’s Chobe National Park, home to the largest herds of elephant on earth, this luxurious boutique was recently described in Town & Country magazine as perhaps “the finest safari lodge in Africa”. It is an oasis in a wildlife wonderland.

AAT prides itself in being regional leaders in sustainable tourism, ensuring both the local communities and the environment benefit from visitors.

Source: New Vic Falls Airport a ‘game changer’ (28/11/16)

New look Victoria Falls Airport boon for Zim tourism

Freedom Mupanedemo 

By mid-morning on Saturday November 19 2016 the Victoria Falls International Airport was already busy with a coterie of aircrafts — from wide bodied to small ones. The previous day, President Mugabe had set the ball rolling after commissioning this new-look world class airport and it was already humming with traffic, some planes preparing to take off while some had their engines still running after a safe landing and others in the hanger.

It’s a new look state-of the art-airport after the Government of Zimbabwe secured $150 million loan from a Chinese bank towards its refurbishment.

The international airport which thrive on the spectacular world class tourist attraction — the mighty Victoria Falls— is expected to boost tourist arrivals, now that it can accommodate wide bodied aircraft.

And with some counties like South Africa which are indirectly benefiting from this grand airport now upping their game, advertising the Victoria Falls like it was their own, the new Victoria Falls International Airport seems to have opened flood gates for airlines from across the globe.

After all, with a new 4km long and 60 metres wide runway nothing can stop this new airport from welcoming an aircraft of any size. Zimbabwe is also a signatory of the 1999 Yamoussoukro Declaration which promotes open skies policy and was ratified by over 14 African countries.

As I cast my eyes in admiration of this new and refreshing architectural splendour, I could see a British Airways Boeing 737-800 series kissing the tarmac as it landed, the springbok Boeing 737-800 series of South African Airways, Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767 and Air Namibia’s Embraer 135 all looking like ghostly figures across the airfield.

With the airport now operating 24/7, tourists now have reason to make a date with one of the world’s renowned natural wonders described by the colonial explorer, David Livingstone as “so beautiful that even Angels on their flight to heaven should have stopped and gazed!”

Victoria Falls is now within touching distance to the world but how Zimbabwe stands to realise the gains from this million dollar project?

In this day and age where the world has become one global village, air transportation is fast proving a vital cog in the development of economies hence the ‘open skies policy’ mantra reaching fever pitch at every government economic recovery strategy fora.

In his address during the official opening of the Victoria Falls Airport, President Mugabe was quick to point to the need by the Government to quickly restructure the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) to separate the regulatory authority from airport management functions in line with the international best practices.

“Now that the Victoria Falls Airport is complete, I urge the ministry (of Transport and Infrastructure Development) to move to achieving our aim to making Zimbabwe the regional hub of Southern Africa,” said President Mugabe.

The Victoria Falls are by far one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions. Before the refurbishment of the airport, wide bodied planes were landing in Livingston Zambia, yet the most attractive sites of the falls are in Zimbabwe.

As they say, the Victoria Falls are like a woman, if you want the back side you go to Zambia and if you want the front side, you obviously come to Zimbabwe.

In order to reap the full benefits from the Victoria Falls International Airport, there is need to free the air space and Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Dr Walter Mzembi is on record calling for the open skies policy.

There is also need to review prices across all sectors, setting attractive accommodation prices as well as those for other activities so as to lure more tourists to the destination.

“Besides the open skies policy, there is also need for us to be competitive as a destination. As it is some countries are benefiting through offering affordable prices and encouraging tourists across to globe to come to their countries where they would be offered packages to fly to Victoria Falls and back with Zimbabwe getting a small chunk of the cake as tourists chose the cheaper way,” said Dr Mzembi.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe president, Mr George Manyuma said the tourism sector would be gathering for its annual conference soon with the issue of prices one of the meeting’s agenda.
He says with the prevailing pricing regime, the country was out bidding itself despite it being one of the best destinations in Southern Africa.

“There has been a lot of talk about high prices in the tourism industry and in our annual conference the pricing regime would be part of the agenda,” he said. - Zimpapers Syndication Services.

Source: New look Victoria Falls Airport boon for Zim tourism (24/11/16)

Mugabe Commissions Vic Falls Airport, Says New Look Facility to Boost Tourism

PRESIDENT Mugabe Friday officially commissioned the new look Victoria Falls International Airport, in what he termed a milestone in the ruling governments' economic blue-print-Zim-Asset.

China Jiangsu carried out upgrading work which commenced in February 2013 and funded by China Exim Bank on a concessionary loan of $150 million.

Mugabe, who was supposed to arrive at the venue at 9.10AM, only arrived at 12 noon and immediately unveiled the plaque before touring the new international terminal.

In his address, Mugabe said the new look airport was a key enabler for development.

"This development indeed signifies exciting times ahead for our aviation and tourism sectors. The upgrading of the airport paves way for Victoria Falls Town to become a tourist hub for Zimbabwe, SADC and the rest of the continent," he said in a brief speech.

The 92-year old initially forgot to announce that the airport was officially opened and returned to the podium to do so.

New developments at the airport which is now able to handle wide bodied aircraft such as Airbus A340, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, include a 4km runway, international terminal building, fire station, control tower and installation of the state of the art specialist aviation equipment and the upgrading of the old airport into a domestic terminal building among others.

It now can accommodate 1,500 000 passengers per year, up from the previous 500 000

"After the completion of this project, visitors and tourists from Europe, Asia, the Middle-East can fly directly into Victoria Falls and experience one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There are well advanced plans for several airlines to fly directly to Victoria Falls," said President Mugabe.

"I therefore urge the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Tourism to work closely together to market the project for economic benefits."

Source: Mugabe Commissions Vic Falls Airport, Says New Look Facility to Boost Tourism (20/11/16)

Vic Falls hosts eco-musical event for wildlife

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls

ENVIRONMENTALISTS in conjunction with tour operators and hotels in Victoria Falls are organising a musical show to raise $50 000 which will be used towards fighting human-wildlife conflict. The first ever eco-musical event dubbed Elefenst2016 has been slated for December 17 at Riverside – on the edges of the Zambezi River.

Artistes from the resort town – Evicted, Mackay, Flying Bantu, Army and the Calamities, Kweseka Band, So Kindly and Bud Cockcroft & friends are billed to perform with more national artistes set to be unveiled.

Show organiser Guy Cockcroft said they wanted to raise funds to erect a solar electric fence around a dumpsite near Masue River. The project also includes setting up a string of beehives between Mkhosana suburb and the Chamabondo National Park and Zambezi National Park (elephants are afraid of bees) to prevent elephants from straying into human settlements as well as erecting another electric fence around the Big Tree where elephants have killed people before.

“The initial target is $50 000 but even if we reach this, plans are underway to make the fundraising an ongoing annual event,” Cockroft said.

“We hope to erect a fence around the dumpsite after realising that every night, there’re elephants and other species scavenging for food which end up eating plastics. An elephant eats about 2 000kgs of grass daily and that includes plastics and researchers from Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust have been finding dead animals with plastic in their abdomen.”

Elefenst2016 will be a family fun day as people are encouraged to come out to support the cause.

“We’re appealing for corporate sponsorship in cash or kind,” said Cockroft.

Organisations involved in the fundraising include Victoria Falls Green Fund, Environment Africa, Shearwater, Wilderness Safaris, Victoria Falls Hotel and Beauty Guest Lodge. Tickets for the show are already on sale with the cheapest being $10. VIP tickets are being sold for $60.

@ncubeleon.

Source: Vic Falls hosts eco-musical event for wildlife (14/11/16)

Transforming Livingstone into a premier conferencing destination

[From The Lusaka Times, Zambia]

GOVERNMENT’s intentions of transforming Livingstone into a premier conferencing centre in Southern Africa next year is a step in the right direction in terms of increasing tourist arrivals to Zambia’s Tourist Capital, Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) managing director Felix Chaila has said.

In his address to National Assembly on Friday during the presentation of the 2017 Budget, Finance Minister Felix Mutati said the Government would next year transform Livingstone into a premier conferencing centre in Southern Africa to leverage on the infrastructure developments that had been undertaken.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mr Chaila said Livingstone was an attractive destination but it lacked adequate conference facilities and hence the move by the Government would increase tourist arrivals.

“This is a welcome move because Livingstone is already an attractive destination and conferences will be an added incentive.

“Tourists are looking for destinations that have a diverse product range including conferences,” Mr Chaila said.

He said the move was also in line with the growing global trend of promoting the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.

The MICE industry is currently one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism base world over as it mainly attracted local tourists.

Globally, the MICE segment carters for about 400, 000 events annually across the globe with a total of about US$ 280 billion out of which about 14, 000 are meetings, conferences, conventions and congresses involving professional associations, corporate bodies, religious groups and inter-governmental bodies.

Most tourism enterprises are now investing in conference rooms to capture this business segment which assures high room occupancy rates and increased consumption of food and beverages among others.

Mr Chaila said there was need to ensure that people who travel to Livingstone to view the Victoria Falls also had an opportunity to enjoy other facilities such as resorts and conferences.

He the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) region, which include five Southern African Countries including Zambia, had also identified MICE as one of the industries which could grow the tourism sector.

“During the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly, Zambia had to partner with Zimbabwe to host the event because we did not have inadequate conference facilities in Livingstone and Victoria Falls Town.

“We also have been struggling to host large groups of tourists because of the same challenge and so the move by the Government will boost the sector,” Mr Chaila said.

Last week, a high powered delegation comprising of five Cabinet Ministers met China Africa Cotton which is planning to invest US$ 50 million to construct a world-class hotel and a sky wheel with a 5, 000 capacity conference facility in the Victoria Falls area of Livingstone.

Source: Transforming Livingstone into a premier conferencing centre is a step in the right direction (15/11/16)