The Government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry is campaigning for revitalisation of domestic tourism saying locals especially civil servants should be capacitated to be able to visit resort places in the country.
The charges for the different activities are very high and as such are beyond many Zimbabweans who might want to go on holiday.
Victoria Falls residents have used different platforms to complain that they are being sidelined from enjoying local resources because of the high charges.
Some have taken to social media, where they have implored operators to reduce charges or introduce special packages for locals as part of measures to promote domestic tourism.
Some of the activities offered especially in Victoria Falls include bungee jumping, tour of the Rainforest, white water rafting, boat cruise, game drives, flight of angels, elephant ride, lion walk, and gorge swing, among others.
The tour of the Rainforest is probably the only activity affordable to locals as adults pay $7 and kids $4.
The other activities in the resort town range between $100 and $300 per person.
Some of the activities are charged in packages of three.
Zimbabweans pay less for the Rainforest tour compared to what is paid by foreign tourists but for other activities the charges are the same for both locals and foreign tourists.
Responding to locals’ concerns, Employers’ Association of Safari and Tourism Operators spokesperson, Mrs Mercy Mushangwe-Ncube conceded that the charges for activities are very high.
“It is true that prices are high and we wish to try and emulate what the national parks have done at the Rainforest where fees are categorised into local, regional and international,” she said.
Mushangwe-Ncube implored operators to consider reducing prices saying this would help promote domestic tourism.
“Reduction of prices will attract local people to actually come and enjoy the local activities which are being offered by tour operators.
“This is a challenge to operators to come together and review their packages so as to promote local tourism,” she said.
However, she said operators have made efforts to make their rates affordable to local through offering special packages based on the seasons.
“There is really a need for tour operators to re-look into their pricing.
Source: Local tourists moan high charges (25/01/18)
KEEP VICTORIA FALLS WILD
Save Victoria Falls from over-development - click to visit site - www.keepvictoriafallswild.com
Friday, 26 January 2018
Thursday, 25 January 2018
Zimbabwe tourism arrivals to surpass 2.5m in 2018
THE tourism sector in Zimbabwe is expected to grow by more than 20% in 2018, with tourist arrivals surpassing 2,5 million due to renewed confidence in the destination triggered by the recent change of government, an executive has said.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive, Karikoga Kaseke, told NewsDay in emailed responses that the outlook for 2018 was exciting following the ushering in of the new administration led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in November.
He said as follow-on effects of Operation Restore Legacy and the vision outlined by Mnangagwa, the tourism sector was expected to grow by more than 20% in 2018, thereby surpassing the annual global tourism growth and the regional growth forecast of 4 to 5% and 5,5%, respectively.
In turn, Kaseke said tourist arrivals in Zimbabwe were estimated to reach over 2,5 million by the end of the year.
In the first nine months of 2017, the country received 1 726 247 in arrivals, 12% up from 1 538 905 received during the same period in 2016.
In 2016, arrivals were 2 167 686, 5% up from 2 056 588 received in 2015.
Kaseke said Zimbabwe is expected to ride on positive trend of an increase in tourism arrivals in Africa which is projected to grow at an average rate of 5,5% per annum for the next decade, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
He said the $150 million facelift of the Victoria Falls International Airport would also contribute significantly to the growth of the sector.
“This development is expected to usher in a new era of the country’s tourism growth. Victoria Falls is now the emerging regional aviation hub, connected to major regional capitals such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Lusaka, Luanda, Windhoek, Gaborone and Maputo,” Kaseke said.
This, he said, would see Victoria Falls becoming the main tourist hub for the Sadc region due to its central location.
Kaseke said after nearly two decades of negative publicity, Zimbabwe “is slowly recovering from the negative image as seen by the removal of travel warnings against the country by several countries including the United States, Japan and Germany last month.”
In his 2018 National Budget statement, Finance and Economic Development minister Patrick Chinamasa said the thrust this year would be on strengthening destination marketing, paying special attention to high spending markets to increase tourism receipts.
He said the Budget would increase allocation for the sector, so as to enhance marketing of the country as a preferred destination for tourism, as well as support the promotion of domestic tourism with a bias towards improving community based tourism enterprises to empower local communities.
Source: ‘Arrivals to surpass 2.5m in 2018’ (24/01/18)
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
PRAZ cancels Zimparks, Adage lease
Abigail Mawonde Herald Correspondent
The Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), formerly the State Procurement Board (SPB), has cancelled a lease that Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority signed with Adage of Success (Pvt) Ltd comprising 20 lodges at Victoria Falls.
This was after Zimparks signed the agreement without going to tender. According to documents in The Herald’s possession, PRAZ has since fined Zimparks $900 for breaching tender procedures.
It is understood that Zimparks was raking in an estimated $300 000 annually from the lodges, but is now getting only $60 000 per year from Adage of Success (Pvt) Ltd for the same business.
In a letter to the then SPB acting director general of Zimparks Mr Geofrey Matipano, SPB said: “The State Procurement Board is in receipt of an anonymous complaint on the leasing of the lodge 20 of Zambezi National Park.
“Kindly advise of the competitive process, which was used to identify Adage of Success P/L as the most suitable lessee of the property.” Zimparks then wrote to Adage cancelling the lease agreement.
“The letter serves as written notice of the cancellation of the 19 lodges agreement entered into between yourselves and the Authority on the 26th of January 2017,” said Zimparks to Adage.
“This has been necessitated by the State Procurement Board directive dated June 22, 2017.
“You are requested to wind down and give vacant possession of the lodges to the Authority within the next four weeks.”
Zimparks public relations manager Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development in an interview with The Herald.
“We can confirm that SPB (now PRAZ) instructed us to cancel the lease between us and Adage of Success (Pvt) Ltd due to failure to follow proper tender procedures,” he said.
“We can also confirm that we were fined by SPB. However, we are now in the process of discussing with the company with a view to put it to tender.”
Source: PRAZ cancels Zimparks, Adage lease (23 January 2018)
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Confusion as Zimbabwe promises review of elephant exports amidst global condemnation
Three weeks after 31 young elephants were exported, presumedly to China, Zimbabwe's office of the president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, announced the nation would examine its conservation policies.
"In light of the recent export of elephants from Zimbabwe, the government is reviewing conservation decisions of the previous dispensation and formulating a policy to move forward," said Christopher Mutsvangwa, the Chief Advisor to the President.
A media report in the Zimbabwe's Daily News claims that the new president actually went further than a review: the news story says the president fully banned the export of live elephants, as well as the export of rhinoceros, pangolin and lion.
This unconfirmed information has now been extensively quoted on social media.
However, no official statement from the President's office or any other official Zimbabwean source has confirmed this. Nor could any confirmation of the source of the Daily News article be obtained from the newspaper, who's editor suggested it came from the initial statement. This clearly did not say the practice would be ‘banned', only that conservation policies would be ‘reviewed'.
At least, five other well-informed Zimbabwean sources were unable to corroborate the existence of a ban. Yesterday, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the body that governs the international export of live elephants, tweeted the Daily News article announcing the ban but John Scanlon, the CITES Secretary General, was also unable to confirm its validity.
For those who are familiar with Zimbabwe politics, contradictory messages aren't entirely out of character. "Whilst I am grateful to read of President Mnangagwa's commitment to preserving Zimbabwe's wildlife, it is clear that there is often a disconnect between the Zimbabwe's government's rhetoric and what happens on the ground," says former Senator David Coltart, based in Bulawayo. "It is time for actions rather than words. We need new policies to be implemented to address the very serious concerns raised by environmentalists…"
Zimbabwe's export of elephants, which has seen almost 100 elephant calves exported from Zimbabwe to Chinese zoos since 2012, is becoming increasingly controversial around the globe. A Care2Petition petition to stop the trade garnered almost 280,000 supporters.
Humane Society International (HSI) submitted a letter last week, co-signed by 33 global conservation groups as well as prominent elephant scientists and biologists urging the Zimbabwean president "to immediately halt the further capture and export of young, wild elephants from Zimbabwe's parks to captive facilities overseas."
The letter referred especially to a recent Guardian exposé which showed undercover footage of the capture process, including graphic video of a 5-year old female elephant being repeatedly hit and kicked in the head by her captors. The letter further noted that the negative ecological and conservation issues of the live elephant trade which was highlighted in a paper presented at a meeting of the Standing Committee of CITES in Geneva.
"Zimbabwe, and any country that might consider selling elephants to zoos, need to alter their stance and instead see the importance of elephants to their country, its environment and its tourism," says Rob Brandford, Executive Director of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. "People will travel to a country to witness elephants being elephants, living wild...they will pay for themselves through the tourists they bring."
Brandford calls the capture of wild elephant inherently cruel: "We must hope, beyond hope, that the new President of Zimbabwe acts for elephants, which means not allowing their capture from the wild, not selling them to zoos and not allowing them to be hunted - none of those acts will save elephants and the trauma it causes to individuals is unimaginable."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Species (IUCN) Survival Commission African Elephant Specialist Group opposes the removal of African elephants from the wild for any captive use, declaring that there is no direct benefit for their conservation in the wild. South Africa has banned the capture of elephants from the wild for permanent captivity in 2008.
Damien Mander, Founder of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF), believes the recent statement from the office of the President will "begin to shape Zimbabwe's future position and the government's willingness to work with the global community."
"There is still much baggage to be shed," he admits, but "discussions with the new leadership leave me confident that Zimbabwe and its conservation policies are moving in the right direction, step by step."
But, while Mnangagwa hailed Zimbabwe's current progress with regards to the conservation of pangolins and the IAPF's introduction of an all-female anti-poaching unit, he made no further mention whether his government would continue with the capture and export of live wild elephants.
In the meantime, the Chinese foreign ministry replied: "We do not know of such circumstances" when questioned on the last round of export of elephants to China in December last year, including when they arrived and their condition.
Animal welfare advocates sent photos of an Ethiopian Airways cargo flight which they claimed transported the elephants from Victoria Falls to China.
Flight analysts at FlightAware, a global flight tracking system, identified an Ethiopian Airways Boeing 777 Cargo aircraft, that departed near Victoria Falls on December 29. The aircraft appears to have stopped for fuel near Mumbai India and was tracked until it ultimately arrived near Guangzhou, China.
Requests for comment from Ethiopian Airlines were also not responded to at the time of this writing.
Source: Confusion as Zimbabwe promises review of elephant exports amidst global condemnation (22/01/18)
More from this blog: Zimbabwe Elephant Capture Petition attracts over a Quarter-of-a-Million (20/01/18)
Elephant calves captured in Hwange exported to China via Victoria Falls Airport (3/1/18)
35 elephants captured from Hwange on a 'Flight to Hell' (27/12/16)
Zimbabwe ships live elephants to wildlife parks in China (23/12/16)
Further Reading (from this blog): Zimbabwe vows to export elephants despite criticism, seeks cash for conservation (07/05/15)
80 elephant calves captured from wild as Zimbabwe goes ahead with export plans (10/02/15)
Zimbabwe to sell excess elephants (08/01/15)
Zimbabwe’s baby elephants getting sold to China zoos (28/11/14)
Photo source: Zimbabwe’s Reported Plan to Export Baby Elephants Raises Outcry Against Animal Trade (17/12/14)
Zimbabwe National Elephant Management Plan (2015-2020)
"In light of the recent export of elephants from Zimbabwe, the government is reviewing conservation decisions of the previous dispensation and formulating a policy to move forward," said Christopher Mutsvangwa, the Chief Advisor to the President.
A media report in the Zimbabwe's Daily News claims that the new president actually went further than a review: the news story says the president fully banned the export of live elephants, as well as the export of rhinoceros, pangolin and lion.
This unconfirmed information has now been extensively quoted on social media.
However, no official statement from the President's office or any other official Zimbabwean source has confirmed this. Nor could any confirmation of the source of the Daily News article be obtained from the newspaper, who's editor suggested it came from the initial statement. This clearly did not say the practice would be ‘banned', only that conservation policies would be ‘reviewed'.
At least, five other well-informed Zimbabwean sources were unable to corroborate the existence of a ban. Yesterday, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the body that governs the international export of live elephants, tweeted the Daily News article announcing the ban but John Scanlon, the CITES Secretary General, was also unable to confirm its validity.
For those who are familiar with Zimbabwe politics, contradictory messages aren't entirely out of character. "Whilst I am grateful to read of President Mnangagwa's commitment to preserving Zimbabwe's wildlife, it is clear that there is often a disconnect between the Zimbabwe's government's rhetoric and what happens on the ground," says former Senator David Coltart, based in Bulawayo. "It is time for actions rather than words. We need new policies to be implemented to address the very serious concerns raised by environmentalists…"
Zimbabwe's export of elephants, which has seen almost 100 elephant calves exported from Zimbabwe to Chinese zoos since 2012, is becoming increasingly controversial around the globe. A Care2Petition petition to stop the trade garnered almost 280,000 supporters.
Humane Society International (HSI) submitted a letter last week, co-signed by 33 global conservation groups as well as prominent elephant scientists and biologists urging the Zimbabwean president "to immediately halt the further capture and export of young, wild elephants from Zimbabwe's parks to captive facilities overseas."
The letter referred especially to a recent Guardian exposé which showed undercover footage of the capture process, including graphic video of a 5-year old female elephant being repeatedly hit and kicked in the head by her captors. The letter further noted that the negative ecological and conservation issues of the live elephant trade which was highlighted in a paper presented at a meeting of the Standing Committee of CITES in Geneva.
"Zimbabwe, and any country that might consider selling elephants to zoos, need to alter their stance and instead see the importance of elephants to their country, its environment and its tourism," says Rob Brandford, Executive Director of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. "People will travel to a country to witness elephants being elephants, living wild...they will pay for themselves through the tourists they bring."
Brandford calls the capture of wild elephant inherently cruel: "We must hope, beyond hope, that the new President of Zimbabwe acts for elephants, which means not allowing their capture from the wild, not selling them to zoos and not allowing them to be hunted - none of those acts will save elephants and the trauma it causes to individuals is unimaginable."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Species (IUCN) Survival Commission African Elephant Specialist Group opposes the removal of African elephants from the wild for any captive use, declaring that there is no direct benefit for their conservation in the wild. South Africa has banned the capture of elephants from the wild for permanent captivity in 2008.
Damien Mander, Founder of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF), believes the recent statement from the office of the President will "begin to shape Zimbabwe's future position and the government's willingness to work with the global community."
"There is still much baggage to be shed," he admits, but "discussions with the new leadership leave me confident that Zimbabwe and its conservation policies are moving in the right direction, step by step."
But, while Mnangagwa hailed Zimbabwe's current progress with regards to the conservation of pangolins and the IAPF's introduction of an all-female anti-poaching unit, he made no further mention whether his government would continue with the capture and export of live wild elephants.
In the meantime, the Chinese foreign ministry replied: "We do not know of such circumstances" when questioned on the last round of export of elephants to China in December last year, including when they arrived and their condition.
Animal welfare advocates sent photos of an Ethiopian Airways cargo flight which they claimed transported the elephants from Victoria Falls to China.
Flight analysts at FlightAware, a global flight tracking system, identified an Ethiopian Airways Boeing 777 Cargo aircraft, that departed near Victoria Falls on December 29. The aircraft appears to have stopped for fuel near Mumbai India and was tracked until it ultimately arrived near Guangzhou, China.
Requests for comment from Ethiopian Airlines were also not responded to at the time of this writing.
Source: Confusion as Zimbabwe promises review of elephant exports amidst global condemnation (22/01/18)
More from this blog: Zimbabwe Elephant Capture Petition attracts over a Quarter-of-a-Million (20/01/18)
Elephant calves captured in Hwange exported to China via Victoria Falls Airport (3/1/18)
35 elephants captured from Hwange on a 'Flight to Hell' (27/12/16)
See also (external links):
Exclusive footage shows young elephants being captured in Zimbabwe for Chinese zoos (03/10/17) The Guardian, UK
Exclusive footage shows young elephants being captured in Zimbabwe for Chinese zoos (03/10/17) The Guardian, UK
Further Reading (from this blog): Zimbabwe vows to export elephants despite criticism, seeks cash for conservation (07/05/15)
80 elephant calves captured from wild as Zimbabwe goes ahead with export plans (10/02/15)
Zimbabwe to sell excess elephants (08/01/15)
Zimbabwe’s baby elephants getting sold to China zoos (28/11/14)
Photo source: Zimbabwe’s Reported Plan to Export Baby Elephants Raises Outcry Against Animal Trade (17/12/14)
Zimbabwe National Elephant Management Plan (2015-2020)
New Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe overwhelmed by Visitors
The recently-commissioned $150 million Victoria Falls International Airport has insufficient capacity to meet burgeoning air traffic demands, spurring a problem of congestion and delays.
As traffic continues to grow with airlines jostling to introduce direct flights to Victoria Falls, the problem is worsening.
This issue has become a major concern of airport authorities and innovative means of accommodating the ever increasing airline traffic are being sought.
Zimbabwe Immigration Department principal director Clemence Masango said immigration officials were having a torrid time containing traffic as the airport’s arrivals section was too small to contain the deluge of visitors.
The airport was refurbished at a cost of $150 million. The airport’s expansion began in February 2013 and was carried out by a Chinese firm China Jiangsu International Group through a concessionary loan by the China Export and Import Bank. It was commissioned in November 2016.
It had been expected to smoothly handle around 1, 5 million passengers annually up from 500 000, but is now struggling to contain the huge volume of traffic.
This comes after BAComair is now operating larger aircraft on the Joburg-Vic Falls route, and over the coming months will be offering double daily flights on several days of the week.
The BAComair daily schedule is operated by a B737-800 aircraft, which accommodates 162 passengers in a business and economy configuration. The airline is also licensed to operate these three additional services per week year-round as required, should there be demand.
South African Airways is operating an Airbus A330-200 with 222 seats, which is 88 seats more than their previous aircraft capacity.
In addition, Victoria Falls has new airlines servicing the destination, namely Ethiopian Airways and Kenya Airways, linking Victoria Falls to North and East Africa. Both airlines have their own hubs and networks for better connections and packaging.
Kenya Airways fly on from Victoria Falls to Cape Town, creating a much-needed route linking the three iconic African destinations of Cape Town, Victoria Falls and Kilimanjaro.
The latest arrivals into Victoria Falls Airport are SA Airlink, offering the Cape Town to Victoria Falls route six days a week, and Fastjet, which has now added Johannesburg to Victoria Falls three times a week to their schedule.
The latest arrivals into Victoria Falls Airport are SA Airlink, offering the Cape Town to Victoria Falls route six days a week, and Fastjet, which has now added Johannesburg to Victoria Falls three times a week to their schedule.
In the domestic air space, Air Zimbabwe and Fastjet are now both operating 7 days a week, which has been a boost for domestic tourism.
As a result, tourism players had raised complaints about the airport capacity chaos at a tourism briefing last Friday.
“We are aware of this complaint. We are doing our best with what is there,” Masango said, adding he had engaged the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe to find a solution.
“I want to point out that although that airport is new, the plan was not drawn yesterday. The plan was done many years ago and when it was developed, I think close to 20 years later, many things were not right.
“That arrival hall, many of you travel around the world, that arrival hall is far from being an arrival hall. In other airports, it’s just a lounge. It cannot take more than 600 passengers.
“And that’s the nature of the volumes we deal with. Three planes if they come fully loaded carrying on average 200 passengers, that’s 600, we can’t sustain. And that’s why you see some passengers spilling onto the tarmac. Then any inconvenience experienced by travellers is naturally directed at immigration.”
Amid the airport chaos, hotel operators in Victoria Falls are reporting better-than-expected profits and raising their earnings forecast for the year, helped by a boost in business travel following the commissioned $150 million international airport.
Victoria Falls hotels’ occupancy levels are ranging in the “high nineties” (90 percent) since government commissioned the $150 million international airport. Apart from the falls, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya or “Smoke That Thunders”, Zimbabwe can offer safari hunting, some of Africa’s largest game reserves, scenic resorts and the ancient Great Zimbabwe ruins, one of the most important archeological sites on the continent.
New businesses are opening across the industry in the region, with new lodges, hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, and new activities, all of which combine to enhance the draw of the destination, which is a hub for Hwange, Matobo Hills, the rest of Zimbabwe and the Kaza (Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area) region.
Kaza, which is made up of five southern African countries, boasts some of the most pristine and diverse wildlife areas left on the planet.
Source: New Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe overwhelmed by Visitors (22/01/18)
New Mall for Victoria Falls Town
Construction has already began on Sawanga Shopping Mall in the small town of Victoria Falls. We have seen the land been cleared and excavators on the property located at the entrance of the central business district. The new mall is expected to house offices, restaurants, boutiques, grocery stores, a medical centre and fitness centre to name a few.
"The proposed project will be strategically located at the corner of Livingstone and Pioneer Road, Victoria Falls. The concept is intended to be more than just a shopping centre but a lifestyle centre in Victoria Falls. The shopping centre will have a floor space of around 5750m2 with a mix of retail, commercial and entertainment activities." - ZIMRE Property Investments
Residents of Victoria Falls are optimistic that the new development will somewhat ease unemployment in the town. The Mayor of Vic Falls Sifiso Mpofu said, "It's (construction of the mall) a welcome gesture which will open up employment opportunities and adds value while it changes the face of the town. It will be the first of its kind though other plans are there. We are truly excited about this development."
"I spoke to the team of contractors and they indicated that they are on the ground and mobilising and will effectively start construction work on 15 January," said Mr Tasiyana Allen Mutede, the Projects Manager responsible for project development and management at ZIMRE Property Investments. ZIMRE is a leading property and real estate firm in Zimbabwe. Managing Director Edson Muvingi says that the estimated time of completion is between 13 and 18 months.
Source: New Mall for Victoria Falls Town (22/01/18)
More: Locals pin employment hopes on Vic Falls mall (16/01/18)
ZPI to construct $13m mall in Vic Falls (11/01/18)
"The proposed project will be strategically located at the corner of Livingstone and Pioneer Road, Victoria Falls. The concept is intended to be more than just a shopping centre but a lifestyle centre in Victoria Falls. The shopping centre will have a floor space of around 5750m2 with a mix of retail, commercial and entertainment activities." - ZIMRE Property Investments
Residents of Victoria Falls are optimistic that the new development will somewhat ease unemployment in the town. The Mayor of Vic Falls Sifiso Mpofu said, "It's (construction of the mall) a welcome gesture which will open up employment opportunities and adds value while it changes the face of the town. It will be the first of its kind though other plans are there. We are truly excited about this development."
"I spoke to the team of contractors and they indicated that they are on the ground and mobilising and will effectively start construction work on 15 January," said Mr Tasiyana Allen Mutede, the Projects Manager responsible for project development and management at ZIMRE Property Investments. ZIMRE is a leading property and real estate firm in Zimbabwe. Managing Director Edson Muvingi says that the estimated time of completion is between 13 and 18 months.
Source: New Mall for Victoria Falls Town (22/01/18)
More: Locals pin employment hopes on Vic Falls mall (16/01/18)
ZPI to construct $13m mall in Vic Falls (11/01/18)
Monday, 22 January 2018
Vic Falls enjoys tourist boom
There was an 18,5 percent increase in hotel occupancy in Victoria Falls in 2017 compared to 2016, with an additional 35 730 rooms sold across 10 hotels, which together have 1 125 rooms available per night and measure arrivals monthly.
A surge in December 2017 saw this year-on-year increase rise to 24 per cent for the month.
This was revealed by Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) chief executive officer Mr Ross Kennedy.
“These growth rates in key ratios are way in excess of regional industry norms, and add substantial weight to the fact that Victoria Falls is back and the future is looking very bright,” Mr Kennedy said.
Significantly, Victoria Falls International Airport has capacity to welcome more flights, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe is working towards a greater spread of arrival times with carriers to limit peak congestion times for passenger handling, a tourism industry leader says.
Mr Kennedy said the tourism industry in Victoria Falls is working very closely with all of the public sector departments and ministries to ensure that this demand is matched by service delivery enhancements.
“This includes latest software systems for immigration to accelerate visa processing at Victoria Falls Airport, more immigration desks and officers at Kazungula, and similar such initiatives,” Mr Kennedy said.
“Victoria Falls Airport is certainly starting to play its role as a regional tourism hub and the varied routes available now make it an obvious Southern Africa itinerary access point,” he said.
“With Zimbabwe being widely tipped by the international tourism industry and mainstream media as one of the hot destinations for 2018-19 and beyond, one can certainly see more long-haul airlines eyeing Victoria Falls as a new route.”
Reports from the tourism industry reflect occupancies from January to April this year, compared to the same period last year, are up by 30 percent in advance bookings, he said.
“This is extremely positive news as the first quarter is usually the poorest business period in the destination,” Mr Kennedy said.
The new $150 million Victoria Falls International Airport, enabling long-haul wide-bodied aircraft to land, was opened in 2016 and has since welcomed three new international airlines to the destination, while existing ones have increased capacity.
This has so far created an additional 127 000 seats into Victoria Falls per annum, Mr Kennedy said.
AAT is a Zimbabwe-owned hospitality group which operates a portfolio of properties in Victoria Falls, including Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suites, Lokuthula Lodges, and Ngoma Safari Lodge in Chobe, Botswana.
Source: Vic Falls enjoys tourist boom (21/01/18)
Saturday, 20 January 2018
Zimbabwe Elephant Capture Petition attracts over a Quarter-of-a-Million
The Zimbabwean is watching numbers grow on a Petition that pleads with Zimbabwe to stop capturing elephants for sale to zoos.
“I wish that Zimbabwean officials had spent more dedicated time with me in the field in Hwange, learning about and witnessing the extremely close family bonds that elephants have,” says Sharon Pincott who spent over a decade in Hwange with elephant conservation efforts, in particular monitoring the social structure and population dynamics of the Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe. “Elephants are such intelligent, sentient beings. The negative impact of ripping young ones from their mothers and families can’t be overstated,” she says.
“Francis Nhema was the wildlife Minister for much of my time with elephants in Zimbabwe. He has spoken publicly in the past about the ‘rude awakening’ he got, while spending time with me in the company of elephants during the 2011 filming of the All the President’s Elephants award-winning international documentary. At that time, Minister Nhema was recorded saying the he ‘met families who are probably more organised than human beings… families that show love, respect – probably better than human beings… families who live according to protocol; to respect’.”
“Please,” Pincott pleads, “let us show our world’s largest land mammals this same respect.”
A Care2 (“You care; we care too”) petition in opposition to the ongoing elephant captures in Zimbabwe has attracted over 260,000 signatures from around Zimbabwe, Africa and the World.
“The petition will be closed off on Monday, 22 January 2018. Relevant documents will then be generated and delivered to President Mnangagwa, Minister Muchinguri in the Environment Ministry and Mr Mangwanya in ZimParks, in the hope that they will now jointly better appreciate just how much damage this practice is doing to elephant families, and to Zimbabwe’s Tourism sector. We ask that they review Zimbabwe’s capture policy with urgency.”
Pincott has taken on the task of ensuring delivery of this petition to the Zimbabwe authorities, and this will happen before the end of this month. You can find the petition at https://www.thepetitionsite.com/115/823/953/zimbabwe-stop-capturing-wild-elephants-and-exporting-them-to-chinese-zoos/
“Those who care about Zimbabwe’s elephants, I urge you to sign it,” says Pincott.
Source: Zimbabwe Elephant Capture Petition attracts over a Quarter-of-a-Million (19/01/18)
More from this blog:
Elephant calves captured in Hwange exported to China via Victoria Falls Airport (3/1/18)
35 elephants captured from Hwange on a 'Flight to Hell' (27/12/16)
Further Reading (from this blog): Zimbabwe vows to export elephants despite criticism, seeks cash for conservation (07/05/15)
Photo source: Zimbabwe’s Reported Plan to Export Baby Elephants Raises Outcry Against Animal Trade (17/12/14)
Elephant calves captured in Hwange exported to China via Victoria Falls Airport (3/1/18)
35 elephants captured from Hwange on a 'Flight to Hell' (27/12/16)
See also (external links):
Exclusive footage shows young elephants being captured in Zimbabwe for Chinese zoos (03/10/17) The Guardian, UK
Exclusive footage shows young elephants being captured in Zimbabwe for Chinese zoos (03/10/17) The Guardian, UK
Further Reading (from this blog): Zimbabwe vows to export elephants despite criticism, seeks cash for conservation (07/05/15)
Zimbabwe to sell excess elephants (08/01/15)
Photo source: Zimbabwe’s Reported Plan to Export Baby Elephants Raises Outcry Against Animal Trade (17/12/14)
Friday, 19 January 2018
Victoria Falls International Airport Has the Capacity to Welcome More Airlines
Victoria Falls International Airport has significant capacity to welcome more flights, And the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe is working towards a greater spread of arrival times with carriers to limit peak congestion times for passenger handling, a tourism industry leader says.
Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) chief executive Ross Kennedy said the tourism industry in Victoria Falls is working very closely with all of the public sector departments and ministries to ensure that this demand is matched by service delivery enhancements.
"This includes latest software systems for immigration to accelerate visa processing at Victoria Falls Airport, more immigration desks and officers at Kazungula, and similar such initiatives," Kennedy said.
"Victoria Falls Airport is certainly starting to play its role as a regional tourism hub and the varied routes available now make it an obvious southern Africa itinerary access point," he said.
"With Zimbabwe being widely tipped by the international tourism industry and mainstream media, as one of THE hot destinations for 2018/19 and beyond one can certainly see more long haul airlines eyeing Victoria Falls as a new route."
There was an 18.5 per cent increase in hotel occupancy in Victoria Falls in 2017 compared to 2016, with an additional 35,730 rooms sold across ten hotels, which together have 1,125 rooms available per night and measure arrivals monthly. A surge in December 2017 saw this year on year increase rise to 24 per cent for the month.
"These growth rates in key ratios are way in excess of regional industry norms, and add substantial weight to the fact that Victoria Falls is back and the future is looking very bright," Kennedy said.
Reports from industry colleagues reflect occupancies from January to April this year compared to the same period last year, are up by 30 per cent in advance bookings, he said.
"This is extremely positive news as the first quarter is usually the poorest business period in the destination," Kennedy said.
The new $150 million Victoria Falls International Airport, enabling long haul wide-bodied aircraft to land, was opened in 2016 and has since welcomed three new international airlines to the destination, while existing ones have increased capacity.
Thursday, 18 January 2018
New U.S.$150 Million Victoria Falls Airport Not Fit for Purpose - Official
When the new $150 million Victoria Falls Airport - funded (through a loan) and built China - was commissioned, the Harare government hyped the fact that it could accommodate the world's biggest planes.
However, it has now turned out that, while the new terminal can accommodate larger aircraft, it apparently has no room for the passengers.
An immigration official last week told tourism executives that, by the time construction started, the airport design was actually 20 years too old.
The project had been conceived several years in advance, but when funding was eventually secured and the first brick laid, the designs were not revised.
"I want to point out that, although the airport is new, its plan was not drawn yesterday.
"It was done many years ago and when it was then developed I think close to 20 years after and many things were not revised," immigration department principal director, Clemence Masango, told a tourism meeting in Harare last week.
The department has reportedly been struggling to handle the increased visitor numbers, resulting in tourists spending spells in queues that often stretch outside the airport terminal.
Concerned about the adverse impact on business, the tourism industry has demanded action, accusing the immigration of incompetence.
However, Masango said it was not the department's fault. Facilities at the airport were just not fit for purpose, he explained.
"That arrivals hall, I think most of you travel a lot; in other airports (a facility like that would) just a lounge," said the immigration officer.
"That hall is far from being a hall; it cannot take 600 passengers and, at times, is the nature of the volumes that we deal with.
"If three planes come fully loaded and they bring on average 200 people, the hall cannot fit in 600 people at once, that is why you see some passengers spilling to the tarmac."
The airport was commissioned by former President Robert Mugabe in November 2016.
Speaking at the event, the veteran leader said the new terminal could accomodate1,500 000 passengers per year, up from 500,000 before the multi-million-dollar revamp.
"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 added.
Source: New U.S.$150 Million Victoria Falls Airport Not Fit for Purpose - Official (17/01/18)
Victoria Falls Airport overwhelmed by visitors
The recently-commissioned $150 million Victoria Falls International Airport has insufficient capacity to meet burgeoning air traffic demands, spurring a problem of congestion and delays.
As traffic continues to grow with airlines jostling to introduce direct flights to Victoria Falls, the problem is worsening.
This issue has become a major concern of airport authorities and innovative means of accommodating the ever increasing airline traffic are being sought.
Zimbabwe Immigration Department principal director Clemence Masango said immigration officials were having a torrid time containing traffic as the airport's arrivals section was too small to contain the deluge of visitors.
The airport was refurbished at a cost of $150 million. The airport's expansion began in February 2013 and was carried out by a Chinese firm China Jiangsu International Group through a concessionary loan by the China Export and Import Bank. It was commissioned in November 2016.
It had been expected to smoothly handle around 1, 5 million passengers annually up from 500 000, but is now struggling to contain the huge volume of traffic.
This comes after BAComair is now operating larger aircraft on the Joburg-Vic Falls route, and over the coming months will be offering double daily flights on several days of the week.
The BAComair daily schedule is operated by a B737-800 aircraft, which accommodates 162 passengers in a business and economy configuration. The airline is also licensed to operate these three additional services per week year-round as required, should there be demand.
South African Airways is operating an Airbus A330-200 with 222 seats, which is 88 seats more than their previous aircraft capacity.
In addition, Victoria Falls has new airlines servicing the destination, namely Ethiopian Airways and Kenya Airways, linking Victoria Falls to North and East Africa. Both airlines have their own hubs and networks for better connections and packaging.
Kenya Airways fly on from Victoria Falls to Cape Town, creating a much-needed route linking the three iconic African destinations of Cape Town, Victoria Falls and Kilimanjaro.
The latest arrivals into Victoria Falls Airport are SA Airlink, offering the Cape Town to Victoria Falls route six days a week, and Fastjet, which has now added Johannesburg to Victoria Falls three times a week to their schedule.
In the domestic air space, Air Zimbabwe and Fastjet are now both operating 7 days a week, which has been a boost for domestic tourism.
As a result, tourism players had raised complaints about the airport capacity chaos at a tourism briefing last Friday.
"We are aware of this complaint. We are doing our best with what is there," Masango said, adding he had engaged the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe to find a solution.
"I want to point out that although that airport is new, the plan was not drawn yesterday. The plan was done many years ago and when it was developed, I think close to 20 years later, many things were not right.
"That arrival hall, many of you travel around the world, that arrival hall is far from being an arrival hall. In other airports, it's just a lounge. It cannot take more than 600 passengers.
"And that's the nature of the volumes we deal with. Three planes if they come fully loaded carrying on average 200 passengers, that's 600, we can't sustain. And that's why you see some passengers spilling onto the tarmac. Then any inconvenience experienced by travellers is naturally directed at immigration."
Amid the airport chaos, hotel operators in Victoria Falls are reporting better-than-expected profits and raising their earnings forecast for the year, helped by a boost in business travel following the commissioned $150 million international airport.
Victoria Falls hotels' occupancy levels are ranging in the "high nineties" (90 percent) since government commissioned the $150 million international airport. Apart from the falls, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya or "Smoke That Thunders", Zimbabwe can offer safari hunting, some of Africa's largest game reserves, scenic resorts and the ancient Great Zimbabwe ruins, one of the most important archeological sites on the continent.
New businesses are opening across the industry in the region, with new lodges, hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, and new activities, all of which combine to enhance the draw of the destination, which is a hub for Hwange, Matobo Hills, the rest of Zimbabwe and the Kaza (Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area) region.
Kaza, which is made up of five southern African countries, boasts some of the most pristine and diverse wildlife areas left on the planet.
Source: Victoria Falls Airport overwhelmed by visitors (17/01/18)
As traffic continues to grow with airlines jostling to introduce direct flights to Victoria Falls, the problem is worsening.
This issue has become a major concern of airport authorities and innovative means of accommodating the ever increasing airline traffic are being sought.
Zimbabwe Immigration Department principal director Clemence Masango said immigration officials were having a torrid time containing traffic as the airport's arrivals section was too small to contain the deluge of visitors.
The airport was refurbished at a cost of $150 million. The airport's expansion began in February 2013 and was carried out by a Chinese firm China Jiangsu International Group through a concessionary loan by the China Export and Import Bank. It was commissioned in November 2016.
It had been expected to smoothly handle around 1, 5 million passengers annually up from 500 000, but is now struggling to contain the huge volume of traffic.
This comes after BAComair is now operating larger aircraft on the Joburg-Vic Falls route, and over the coming months will be offering double daily flights on several days of the week.
The BAComair daily schedule is operated by a B737-800 aircraft, which accommodates 162 passengers in a business and economy configuration. The airline is also licensed to operate these three additional services per week year-round as required, should there be demand.
South African Airways is operating an Airbus A330-200 with 222 seats, which is 88 seats more than their previous aircraft capacity.
In addition, Victoria Falls has new airlines servicing the destination, namely Ethiopian Airways and Kenya Airways, linking Victoria Falls to North and East Africa. Both airlines have their own hubs and networks for better connections and packaging.
Kenya Airways fly on from Victoria Falls to Cape Town, creating a much-needed route linking the three iconic African destinations of Cape Town, Victoria Falls and Kilimanjaro.
The latest arrivals into Victoria Falls Airport are SA Airlink, offering the Cape Town to Victoria Falls route six days a week, and Fastjet, which has now added Johannesburg to Victoria Falls three times a week to their schedule.
In the domestic air space, Air Zimbabwe and Fastjet are now both operating 7 days a week, which has been a boost for domestic tourism.
As a result, tourism players had raised complaints about the airport capacity chaos at a tourism briefing last Friday.
"We are aware of this complaint. We are doing our best with what is there," Masango said, adding he had engaged the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe to find a solution.
"I want to point out that although that airport is new, the plan was not drawn yesterday. The plan was done many years ago and when it was developed, I think close to 20 years later, many things were not right.
"That arrival hall, many of you travel around the world, that arrival hall is far from being an arrival hall. In other airports, it's just a lounge. It cannot take more than 600 passengers.
"And that's the nature of the volumes we deal with. Three planes if they come fully loaded carrying on average 200 passengers, that's 600, we can't sustain. And that's why you see some passengers spilling onto the tarmac. Then any inconvenience experienced by travellers is naturally directed at immigration."
Amid the airport chaos, hotel operators in Victoria Falls are reporting better-than-expected profits and raising their earnings forecast for the year, helped by a boost in business travel following the commissioned $150 million international airport.
Victoria Falls hotels' occupancy levels are ranging in the "high nineties" (90 percent) since government commissioned the $150 million international airport. Apart from the falls, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya or "Smoke That Thunders", Zimbabwe can offer safari hunting, some of Africa's largest game reserves, scenic resorts and the ancient Great Zimbabwe ruins, one of the most important archeological sites on the continent.
New businesses are opening across the industry in the region, with new lodges, hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, and new activities, all of which combine to enhance the draw of the destination, which is a hub for Hwange, Matobo Hills, the rest of Zimbabwe and the Kaza (Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area) region.
Kaza, which is made up of five southern African countries, boasts some of the most pristine and diverse wildlife areas left on the planet.
Source: Victoria Falls Airport overwhelmed by visitors (17/01/18)
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