Tourists sceptical after bungee jumping mishap

Chronicle visited the bridge on Monday and witnessed that bungee jumping operations have since commenced.

Some tourists jumped while others refused even after paying for the activity mainly because they were not sure about their safety.

Bridge swing, bridge slides and bridge tours that were not affected by the accident continued operating as usual.

While some tourists jumped, some had some reservations because of the snapping of the cord that happened on 31 December.

“After learning of the accident that occurred I cannot help it but desist from jumping today. We are no longer sure of the safety of these cords,” said Mr Martin Attikinson of South Africa.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, Mr Given Lubinda, was at the bridge on a fact-finding mission on Monday.

Mr Lubinda took the opportunity to take part in the bridge activities such as bridge slide and bridge swing. He took a chance and bungee jumped before bridge sliding to assure tourists and others present that it was still safe to engage in these activities.

Mr Lubinda expressed sadness at the fact that a life could have been lost on 31 December.
In a statement, the Zambezi Bridge Company, which operates the bridge activities, said this was the first incident of its nature in 17 years of operation.

“It goes without saying that we deeply regret the incident, which is the first such incident in 17 years of operations during which time more than 150 000 people have safely jumped from the bridge.

“The exact reason for the bungee cord failure is as yet unknown. We have engaged the necessary safety specialists who will be coming within the coming week to investigate the cause.

“We are treating this incident seriously and our aim now is to learn what we can from this and apply that knowledge so as to ensure that there is no reoccurrence,” reads part of the statement.

The statement further stated that preliminary measures that include removing all bungee cords from the system, which were made with the same batch of rubber as that used to make the failed cord, had been implemented.

“An entirely new set of bungee cords has been installed on the system. These have been extensively load tested and inspected thoroughly and we are satisfied that they are safe to jump on.

“The entire bungee system has been thoroughly inspected and checked and we are confident that everything is safe to jump on. In addition to our normal checks and procedures we have instigated additional daily and intermittent checks on the bungee cords and we are fully satisfied that these checks and procedures are more than sufficient to ensure our clients’ safety.

“Our own crew is conducting test jumps before the commencement of daily operations and throughout the day. Experts in South Africa have been contacted and we expect them to be on site next week to help us with our ongoing investigations as to the cause of the incident.”

Officer Commanding Victoria Falls police district, Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiona confirmed the incident saying that it took place on 31 December at around 5:30 pm. “A 22-year-old Australian backpacker, Ms Erin Langworth, fell from the Victoria Falls Bridge, 111m above the river on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. We attended the scene as the police because she managed to swim to the Zimbabwean side of the river. We, however, handed over the matter to the Zambia police since she was staying in Zambia and had been booked by a Zambian company to do bungee jumping.

“The bungee machines are on the Zambian side and therefore we treat the matter as having occurred in Zambia,” he said.

Chief Supt Chiona said after the snapping of the rope, Ms Langworth was sent plunging into the rapids below and was forced to swim through the rapids with her feet still tied together.

“The bridge crew and a local medical response team then rescued her. She sustained relatively minor injuries, mostly bruising and has no broken bones. The cause of the incident is being thoroughly investigated,” he said.

Source: Tourists sceptical after bungee jumping mishap (10/01/12)

Commotion Over Issuance Of Mining Licenses In Sanctuary

 BULAWAYO — The Conservancy and Tourism Association of Matabeleland North is up in arms against government over the granting of prospecting licenses to four coal mining companies in an area falling under the Zambezi Trans-Frontier conservancy park.

The park is a joint venture between Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Botsw-ana and Namibia.

The coal prospecting grants issued by Mines and Mining Development Minister, Obert Mpofu, also lie close to the construction site of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, and environmentalists have warned that water pollution would increase as waste from the mines is likely to flow into the reservoir.

The Environmental Management Agency has also warned of environmental dangers should full-scale mining take place: The emission of poisonous gases — carbon chloride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide and methane gas — would contaminate the dam.

The Hwange, Gwayi and Dete Cons-ervancy and Tourism Association chairperson, Langton Masunda, this week said business would suffer as a result of government’s move to award the mining licenses without consultation with the association.

Said Masunda: “The clearing of the bush, pollution and noise produced by the heavy mining equipment will affect wildlife and this will result in low revenues earned for the country because the Hwange, Gwayi and Dete Conservancy area is the second largest in terms of revenue earned per annum after Victoria Falls.”

Wildlife in the area has already begun migrating into neighbouring Botswana as a result of the increased mining activity.

Mpofu declined to comment on the issue, saying he was in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Although the four mines are yet to fully conduct an Environmental Impact Asses-sment (EIA), they have already gone ahead with full-scale mining activities, according to Masunda.

“It is our belief that they cannot start mining unless they produce an EIA certificate and all stakeholders, local community and tourism businesspeople will have to be part of it.

“That has not happened for now and we are surprised to see some of these mines operating only with the blessing of the Mines Ministry”, said Masunda.

Earlier this year, 20 coal mining companies were given concessions to prospect and mine for coal in Matabeleland North. The Hwange region contains the country’s largest coal deposits, with estimated coal reserves lasting 1 000 years of mining.

It is also the location of the country’s largest national park and wildlife reserve.

Source: Commotion Over Issuance Of Mining Licenses In Sanctuary (14/11/11)

Tourist arrivals up 16 percent

TOURIST arrivals into Zimbabwe climbed by 16 percent during the first half of 2011 to 657 302, from 568 706 during the six months to June 2010, driven by significant easing of the global financial crisis, a new report said this week.

The growth in arrivals was led by Africa, which pushed volumes up by 11 percent to 567 000, from 510 300 during the prior comparative period in 2010.

However, South Africa, the continent’s largest tourist market, declined by 33 percent, according to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA)’s Tourism Trends and Statistics Report released on Tuesday.

“Zimbabwe recorded a 16 percent increase in tourist arrivals in the first half of 2011,” the ZTA said. 

“The continued growth in arrivals can be attributed to the increased confidence in Zimbabwe as a tourist destination. This has been necessitated (by) continued marketing efforts by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. The economic recovery by the country and the increased trade within the region also contributed significantly to this increase,” the report added.

Hotel room occupancy levels increased to 38 percent during the review period from 35 percent during the six months ending June 2010, with holiday travelers dominating.

Business travelers increased by 44 percent to 136 000.

Britain, Zimbabwe’s former colonial power that led an aggressive global onslaught against the country’s political establishment over a chaotic land reform programme that resulted in a sharp fall in foreign tourist arrivals into Zimbabwe, reported a 141 percent rise in arrivals at 10 720.

The report indicated that a marked recovery of Zimbabwe’s economy since dollarisation in 2009, significant improvements in international trade and aggressive marketing strategies had helped restore tourist confidence on Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s economy grew by 8,1 percent in 2010 and was projected to grow by 9,3 percent in 2011, bolstering domestic tourism as disposable incomes improved. Fourteen percent of arrivals during the review period were overseas tourists, from 10 percent during the first half of 2010.

The Americas, where the ZTA had intensified its marketing drive and opened a marketing office in Brazil, together with a plan to lure about 14 million African Americans in the United States, had a 37 percent rise in Zimbabwe arrivals to 22 290.

Asia reported a 104 percent increase, Europe increased by 51 percent, the Middle East increased by 125 percent.
Tourism Minister, Walter Mzembi, had a highly publicised trip to Iran during this period.
The ZTA said there were positive signals of a significant rise in arrivals by year-end.
“The year 2011 promises to bring positive results to Zimbabwe’s tourism industry in line with the anticipated growth in international tourist arrivals by between four and five percent and the regional growth of 13 percent,” the ZTA said.
“Tourist trends are expected to rise following the stabilisation of the economy and the demand resulting from the expected increase in arrivals in 2011,” said the authority.

Source: Tourist arrivals up 16 percent (11/11/11)

ZTA moves to repossess 5 hotels

THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is withdrawing five hotels from the Rainbow Tourism Group, as it moves to enhance its business thrust in line with its economic turnaround project.

In an interview here yesterday, ZTA chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke, said ZTA was withdrawing Rainbow Towers and New Ambassador Hotel in Harare, Rainbow Bulawayo, Rainbow Victoria Falls and a lodge in Hwange, as part of its new business thrust.

But RTG chief executive Mrs Chipo Mtasa said she was not aware of any such moves “so we have no comment to make”.

Said Mr Kaseke: “We cannot be a tourism authority without a single hotel or lodge. We have made a decision to repossess Rainbow Towers, Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel, New Ambassador Hotel in Harare, Rainbow Hotel Victoria Falls and a lodge in Hwange. I can’t name the lodge but it’s a good one in Hwange.

“At the peak of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme, the ZTA leadership of that time surrendered these facilities to the Ministry of Public Construction and they were leased out.”

Asked if the ZTA had the capacity to run the hotel facilities, Mr Kaseke said it could subcontract someone to run or lease them out.

“We must make money out of those facilities. Even if we make US$100 000 a month from them, we will be fine,” said Mr Kaseke.

He said the ZTA had already started working on the necessary modalities to ensure that the hotels become the ZTA’s a cash cow. It had largely survived on Government grants and levies paid by the tourism and hospitality industry.

Mr Kaseke said it “made sense” to repossess the facilities since his organisation had, over the years, rebranded and repositioned itself to market, promote and develop the tourism industry.

ZTA, which hosts many local and international celebrities and media houses as part of its National Perception Management Programme, needs hotel and lodge facilities of varied sizes and comfort.
Over the years, ZTA has been either paying cash or relying on the benevolence of hoteliers to accommodate its visitors.

“As an authority we need to invest in the industry as well, so that we get first-hand experience on the situation on the ground.

“We need to work on serious investment projects elsewhere in the country’s tourist resorts, so that we generate income for ourselves,” said Mr Kaseke.

Source: ZTA to repossess 5 hotels (16/10/11)

Victoria Falls charms Knight Rider

From Patrick Chitumba in Victoria Falls

POPULAR American actor, singer and businessman David Michael Hasselhoff, popularly known as Michael Knight, was in the resort town of Victoria Falls on a three-day private visit.
He was expected to leave Zimbabwe yesterday.

The Hoff, as he is known these days, rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the leading actor in the popular television series Knight Rider, alongside his famous car KITT.

He was also part of another popular series – Baywatch – alongside blonde beauty Pamela Anderson.
Hasselhoff, who was in the company of his fiancée Hayley Louise Roberts and his cousin Nicholas Jean Corjon, said he was in the country to enjoy the splendour associated with one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Victoria Falls Rainforest and the mighty Zambezi River.

These are among other adventures that make the resort town the tourism hub of Southern Africa.
In an exclusive interview at the five-star Victoria Falls Hotel, where he booked in soon after his arrival from South Africa, Hasselhoff said this was his second visit to Victoria Falls.

“I was here in 1986 with my father and I will always want to visit this place. “I am here to show them the beauty of what God made, the Falls, it is so beautiful.”

He added that he had fond memories of Victoria Falls with the most vivid one being when a monkey entered their hotel room.

“Back then, there was a sign written that when a monkey enters a guest room, you should report to management.

“So one day we walked into our room and found the monkey. We called management and they came and took it out and it was such an experience,” he said.

He said he also remembers that he once bartered a pair of tennis shoes for an elephant tusk but was quick to note that things had changed.

“Right now there is the moratorium on the trade of ivory and I believe it is good for the protection of the wildlife. The last time I was here I traded my pair of tennis shoes for ivory,” he said.
Hasselhoff added that he was touched by the fact that people in South Africa and Zimbabwe still recognised him for the role he played in Knight Rider.

“I also visited South Africa during the apartheid era to show support for the people who were fighting against it and what I have learnt is that the people want to see a happy world where there is love and friendship.”

Hasselhoff also said his visit to Victoria Falls might prove worthwhile since he intended to propose to his fiancée while bungee jumping.

“I proposed to her when we were in South Africa when we were under the ocean in a cage watching sharks and she refused even after I had told her that I was going to open the gate of the cage and we will be eaten by sharks.

“I even proposed to here in front of charging elephants and she still said no so I will again propose, as I do bungee jumping or the swing,” he said.

Hasselhoff also said that he was hoping to do white- water rafting in the Zambezi River together with his fiancée.

“For the next three days we are here in Victoria Falls and we intend to do a lot of adventure activities as we have a lot of fun with my fiancée and my cousin, as we see the world together.

“So basically we are having more of fun than anything here in Victoria Falls it is very spiritual. I think that sitting on the edge of the falls is the closest that you’ll ever come to God. And you’re going to want to jump. It is so powerful, you’ll just want to give yourself back to God ,” he said.

Source: Victoria Falls charms Knight Rider (27/09/11)

Vic Falls reports an upswing in arrivals

Vic Falls in Zimbabwe is reporting an impressive turn around with a big increase in occupancy levels. According to occupancy records at seven hotels, covering a total of 1 008 rooms, levels were up by 20% based on the same seven month last year (January to July). This translates into 13 193 extra rooms occupied over the same period in 2010.

Several hotels reported having their best July since 2000 with occupancies at 70% and above. Furthermore, going forward August to November is looking promising with greater occupancies forecast. There are reports of 80% and upwards and average room rates and REVPar are rising in tandem.

According to Ross Kennedy, CEO of Africa Albida, "Victoria Falls Safari Lodge had the best July occupancy in 10 years at 70%. The Boma Place of Eating had its second best July ever. Only July 2007 saw more covers per night at an average of 183, while 2011 had on average 163 per night."

Meanwhile Ilala Lodge Hotel General Manager, Roddy Meiring, advised that "the hotel saw a massive 87% occupancy in July 2011, which is up 15% on last year".

General Manager of The Victoria Falls Hotel, Karl Snater, says "we have seen an increase in occupancies from 2010, for all months except March, with July showing a massive 21% increase in occupancy from last year".

According to Kennedy, there are several reasons why Vic Falls is seeing an upswing while many other destinations continue to struggle to fill beds. "The settling and stability of the economy since dollarisation in 2009 has meant that the supply chain has normalised and is thus operating to international standards. In addition it has meant that use of foreign currency, pricing and access to goods has normalised and we are once again a tourist-friendly destination," he says.

Kennedy adds that the UK market, along with other markets that stopped supporting the area, have started to come back after "staying away" for most of the last 10 years and many operators who moved business across to Zambia between 200 and 2010 have now moved their clients back to Vic Falls.

"Destination marketing campaigns such as the Go To Victoria Falls campaign have also paid off, along with international and regional awareness and education campaigns with the travel trade and consumers," concludes Kennedy.

Source: Vic Falls reports an upswing in arrivals (30/08/11)

Victoria Falls reports good occupancies

Feedback from Go To Victoria Falls members reveals that arrivals into Victoria Falls have seen a turnaround. The monthly fair market share statistics at the end of July show a substantial increase from last year as well as previous years. This is in direct contrast to the current tourism arrival figures in other Southern African destinations.

According to occupancy records at seven different hotels, covering a total of 1 008 rooms, arrivals into the destination were up by 20%, based on the same seven-month period last year (January to July). This translates into 13 193 extra rooms occupied (63 per night) over the same period in 2010.

Several hotels reported their best July since 2000, at 70%+ occupancies, and in some cases, July was among the best three or four months ever experienced at these hotels.

Forecasts for August to November look promising for the destination, with even greater occupancies predicted according to the in system occupancies for these hotels. There are reports of 80%+ and perhaps even the possibility of a few at 90%+. In addition, average room rates and Revenue Per Available Room (Revpar) are rising in tandem.

The economic and downstream benefits of this arrival trend are obvious as international and regional tourists, along with Zimbabwean visitors, spend ever increasing amounts of disposable income on their holidays. All areas of tourism, which include hotels, transfers, activities, restaurants, national parks, curio sellers, fuel stations, supermarkets and suppliers of goods, should see an upswing in revenue as a result of these increased arrivals.

According to Ross Kennedy, CEO of Africa Albida, “Victoria Falls Safari Lodge had the best July occupancy in 10 years at 70%. The Boma Place of Eating had its second best July ever. Only July 2007 saw more covers per night at an average of 183, while 2011 had on average 163 per night.”

Ilala Lodge Hotel GM, Roddy Meiring, says: “The hotel saw a massive 87% occupancy in July 2011, which is up 15% on last year.”

GM of The Victoria Falls Hotel, Karl Snater, adds: “We have seen an increase in occupancies from 2010 for all months except March, with July showing a massive 21% increase in occupancy from last year.”

These statistics show that while many destinations in Southern Africa might be seeing a decline in visitors, Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side is on the up and once again being recognised as a world-class destination.

Source: Victoria Falls reports good occupancies (23/08/11)