Travellers are looking beyond Vic Falls
POLITICAL and economic
instability has taken
its toll on Zimbabwe’s
tourism industry over the past
decade, with many South
Africans only stopping over in
the country for a whirlwind tour
of the Falls before setting off to
other SADC destinations to get
their bush and adventure fix.
But a growing number of
Zimbabwe businesses say
that, while numbers of South
Africans travelling into the
country may not be growing
dramatically, there is a growing
trend to explore further afield,
especially when it comes to
special-interest travel.
Beks Ndlovu, ceo of African
Bush Camps, which runs
luxury safari camps in both
Hwange and Mana Pools
National Parks, says South
African travellers are definitely
starting to show more interest
in destinations beyond Victoria
Falls, particularly as air access
throughout the country has
started to improve.
While the new Vic Falls
Airport has the potential to
serve as an international
gateway to the rest of
Zimbabwe, various airlines
have also launched flights into
other airports.
In May this year, Air
Zimbabwe added an extra
frequency to its JohannesburgBulawayo
route (now serviced
four times a week) and
added a midday flight on its
Johannesburg-Harare route. At
the time, Air Zimbabwe public
relations manager, Shingai
Taruvinga, said the airline
had introduced the flights to
improve tourism out of SA.
Additionally, fastjet Zimbabwe
has announced plans to
launch a daily direct route
from OR Tambo International
in Johannesburg to Harare on
February 1, with plans to add
an additional daily flight further
down the line.
Glenn Stutchbury, ceo
of Cresta Hotels, says with
Victoria Falls as the hub and
more airlines codesharing to
access the airport, he believes
airlift to the rest of Zimbabwe
is just getting better and
better. “We have already seen
an increase in local transfers
to the closer destinations like
Hwange and also more light
aircraft players offering access
into Mana Pools and Kariba.”
Special-interest travel
Beks says that the type of
South African travellers that do
explore further afield tend to
be adventurous, independent
travellers who are more
likely to hoist a trailer and a
rooftop tent on to their 4x4
and explore, rather than buy a
pre-packaged tour. If an agent
specialises and positions
themselves as a Zimbabwe
expert, there is opportunity to
tap into this market, but it’s
important to be mindful that
these types of travellers don’t
fall into the ‘mass market’
category and, generally
speaking, are therefore not
a big contributor in terms of
revenue,” says Beks.
Glenn agrees, and says
South Africans are not scared
of distances so self-drive is a
common choice. “This means
that destinations such as
Matopos and Hwange come
into play.”
One of the areas South
Africans are particularly keen
to travel to, particularly those
with a keen interest in fishing,
is the Zambezi Valley, from
Chirundu on the Zambian
border all the way across
to the Mozambican border.
According to Beks, this area
offers perhaps the best tiger
fishing in the world.
Another popular option
with South African self-drive
travellers is the Eastern
Highlands, says Beks. This
area is particularly well known
for its birdlife.
Currency concerns
However, Beks points out that
many potential travellers are
deterred and decide to stay
away due to the country’s US
dollar pricing. “The difficulty is
that South Africans have easy
access to incredible outdoor
destinations on their doorstep
that cost far less,” says Beks.
While the rand continues to
slowly strengthen against the
dollar in 2016, there are still
far more affordable options
where the exchange rate
doesn’t blow the budget.
“The South African
market, which contributes
significantly to Zimbabwe
tourist arrivals, has suffered
from the depreciation of the
South African rand, making
Zimbabwe an expensive
destination,” agrees Herbert
Nkala, chairman of African Sun
Limited. In light of this, the
group had to introduce major
cost-cutting measures and
change its business model to
return to profitability.
Significant challenges
Another challenge is negative
perceptions around border
access. The recent unrest
and demonstrations that took
place at Beitbridge border
post in July have not helped
alleviate these concerns,
says Beks. “However, the
industry has put pressure on
government to come up with
more tourist-friendly border
controls and we’ve had some
success in this regard, with a
tourism desk now set up at
Beitbridge.”
Glenn says road blocks
have also been a problem of
late, but says the industry is
also constantly engaging the
authorities in this regard. “The
cash shortage has also been
a contributor to a slowdown,
but many suppliers, including
garages, now use point of sale
devices, so plastic money is
welcome across the country.”
He does recommend that
travellers first make sure that
the systems and lines are
operational before relying on
their credit cards.
The general sentiment is
definitely that destinations
beyond Vic Falls are on the
upswing, despite recent
reports of growing civil unrest
and protest action. “The
political situation means
that many South Africans,
especially those that may have
holidayed in Zimbabwe many
years ago, think of Zimbabwe
as quite ‘raw’, but they are
pleasantly surprised when they
return and find that it’s still the
same beautiful place that they
remember,” Beks adds.
Book it!
African Sun Hotels is
offering a series of ‘Heroes
Specials’ at various
properties. At the Caribbea
Bay Resort in Kariba, guests
can stay for US$100
(R1 430) for a single or
$120 (R1 715) for a double
room, including breakfast.
Kids under 12 stay free
and pay 50% for breakfast
and activities. The rate
includes a game drive or
cruise. Valid until August 31
for a minimum stay of two
nights. Additionally, African
Sun Hotels is offering a free
sundowner cruise on Lake
Kariba for every confirmed
conference booked.
Three off-the-beaten-track options
1. Kariba
As the world’s largest
manmade lake by volume,
the sheer scale of Kariba is
staggering. Measuring 223km
in length and 40km at its
widest, it expands endlessly
across the horizon. The lake is
known for its tiger fishing, but
is also filled with Nile crocodile
and hippo and attracts various
waterbirds like Fish eagles.
Matusadona National Park
is situated along Kariba’s
shores, which means that
those travelling by houseboat
are often treated to the sight
of elephant wandering along
the waterline. Kariba was
one of the areas worst hit by
Zimbabwe’s tourism decline,
but stakeholders are taking
steps to encourage a revival
in interest, such as joint
marketing plans and improving
the accommodation and
amenities on offer. African
Bush Camps’ Beks Ndlovu
says Kariba is an exciting and
affordable incentive destination,
with many large houseboats big
enough to accommodate bigger
groups and willing to negotiate
discounted rates for South
African clientele.
2. Matopos
Situated about an hour’s
drive from Bulawayo, Matobo
National Park, also known
as the Matopos Hills, is a
Unesco World Heritage Site
and is known for its unique
geological formations. The
smooth granite kopjes were
formed over two billion years
ago and its name, translated
from Ndebele, means ‘bald
heads’. The 100km park
is Zimbabwe’s oldest and
includes a high density of
White rhino – in fact, the
world’s densest population
of the species. It is also
popular with birders due to
its large population of Black
eagles, which nest between
the kopjes – again the highest
concentration in the world.
Activities on offer in the
park include rhino tracking,
tours to view the San rock
art found in the Matopos
Hills, nature walks and visits
to historic sites, including
Cecil John Rhodes’ grave,
known as ‘View of the World’.
Accommodation includes a
range of campsites, as well
as a high-end lodge, Camp
Amalinda.
3. Eastern Highlands
Zimbabwe’s Eastern
Highlands are situated along
the country’s border with
Mozambique. This mountain
range is a ‘bucket list’
destination for birders in
particular, with the potential
to sight special species such
as the Trumpeter hornbill,
Knysna and Purple-crested
turaco, Crested guinea fowl
and Crowned eagle. The
habitat includes a wide
stretch of rainforest that
is full of butterflies, and
rarities such as the Blue
monkey, Samango Sykes’
monkey, African Little-collared
fruit bat and Marshall’s
pygmy chameleon. Activities
include hiking to view the
Chimanimani Bridal Falls,
the second-highest waterfall
in Africa, nature walks and
game drives in Nyanga
National Park and visits
to the Vumba Botanical
Gardens and the nearby town
of Mutare, for cultural tours
and shopping. There are
several lodges, resorts and
hotels situated throughout
the region.
