Tourism and Environment

Emirates, ZTA sign MoU to promote tourism to Zimbabwe

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2023

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Emirates has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tourism Authority of Zimbabwe (ZTA) to further boost inbound tourist arrivals and develop traffic into Zimbabwe utilizing the strength of the airline’s global network.

The MOU was signed by Badr Abbas, Emirates’ senior vice president commercial operations for Africa, and Winnie Munchanyuka, chief executive, ZTA.

Also present at the signing ceremony were Adnan Kazim, Emirates chief commercial officer, Lovemore Mazemo, ambassador of Zimbabwe to the UAE, Farai Chimba, president, Hotel Association of Zimbabwe and general manager, Victoria Falls Hotel, and Rungano Nyaude, chairman, Zimbabwe Business Council in UAE.

Under the agreement, Emirates along with the ZTA will set in motion a range of joint marketing efforts that include tourism promotions, organizing familiarisation trips for trade and media among other activities.

Both parties will also explore opportunities for joint advertising campaigns in key markets.

Abbas, said: “The MoU signed today reflects Emirates’ confidence in the potential and attractiveness of Zimbabwe as an emerging destination that awaits exploration.

“Home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, breath-taking landscapes and glorious historical sites, Emirates looks forward to supporting the ZTA in attracting more tourists to the country and showcase its uniqueness and vast array of distinctive experiences.

“We aim to play a considerable role in raising the profile of Zimbabwe through our strong global connectivity.”

Muchanyuka said: “Access to the destination is a critical element of tourism in Zimbabwe. We are pleased to collaborate with Emirates and signing this MoU will cement this relationship further.

“Zimbabwe is an emerging major centre for tourism, business travel, as well as wildlife tourism and the increased levels of inbound travel is consistent with the growth in numbers of visitors to the country.”

She added: “In this regard, connectivity plays a salient role for tourism growth and Zimbabwe is confident that this partnership with Emirates presents a solid conduit that will culminate in an increase of tourist arrivals and most importantly trade from the Middle East and the world at large to our destination.’

Endowed with both natural and man-made attractions such as the Mighty Victoria Falls, Matopo Hills, Lake Kariba, wildlife at Hwange, Great Zimbabwe Monuments, and Gonarezhou National Parks, Zimbabwe is a sought after destination offering leisure activities for tourists.

Emirates started operations to Zimbabwe in September 2012 with five weekly flights.

It has steadily grown the route in line with increasing customer demand and operates a daily service to Harare with seven flights a week.

“Since the start of its operations, Emirates has driven inbound traffic to Zimbabwe from the Middle East, points in Europe, Australia and US,” Emirates said.

“Our codeshare partnerships with Airlink and South African Airways further provide more choice and connectivity to passengers and drive inbound visitors to domestic points in Zimbabwe like Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.”

Sports

Zimparks, VFWT join forces to rescue snared elephant

Published

2 weeks ago

August 5, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A dramatic rescue operation was carried out last week by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, in collaboration with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks), to save a young female elephant from a wire snare.

According to a statement posted by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust on Facebook:

“Last week, we received an urgent call from Zimparks about a young female elephant in distress—a wire snare was tightly wrapped around her mouth and tusks.”

The elephant was spotted near Masuwe Lodge, where her herd was peacefully drinking at the waterhole. Acting swiftly, the trust’s team carefully separated the distressed elephant from her herd and darted her, allowing them to remove the snare and collect vital health samples.

Thankfully, the wire hadn’t cut deeply, and the young elephant was soon back on her feet, reunited with her family.

The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust expressed gratitude to Zimparks and Adrian Read for their dedication to protecting wildlife, saying:

“Thank you to Zimparks and Adrian Read for their dedication to protecting our wildlife.”

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Zimparks defends trophy hunting of collared lion in Hwange

Published

2 weeks ago

August 4, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority, Zimparks, has defended the killing of a collared lion, Blondie, in Hwange National Park, despite widespread outrage and criticism from conservationists.

According to BBC News, Blondie, a well-known lion studied by University of Oxford academics, was killed by trophy hunters just outside Hwange National Park in late June. The lion was wearing a collar sponsored by Africa Geographic, a safari company, to support long-term conservation efforts.

In a press statement, Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said:

“Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) confirms that a recent hunt of a collared lion in Hwange National Park was legally conducted, with the necessary approvals and having fully complied with all regulations. Contrary to ongoing speculation, there was no illegality involved in this hunt. While collared animals are marked for research purposes, this does not exempt them from being legally hunted under regulated circumstances. We urge the public to stop spreading wrong information that may cause unnecessary alarm. ZimParks remains committed to transparent wildlife management upholding the regulations in all activities.”

According to BBC News, Simon Espley, CEO of Africa Geographic, expressed his dismay and anger over the incident, saying that Blondie’s prominent collar did not prevent him from being hunted. Espley also noted that Blondie was a breeding male in his prime, contradicting claims that trophy hunters only target old, non-breeding males.

The incident has drawn comparisons to the killing of Cecil the lion in 2015, which sparked widespread outrage and calls for stricter regulations on trophy hunting.

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Renowned conservationist Alan Elliott passes away at 86

Published

2 weeks ago

August 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The conservation world is mourning the loss of Alan Elliott, a pioneering conservationist and tourism operator who passed away this morning around 2AM at Materdei Hospital in Bulawayo.

Elliott, affectionately known as “Mandebele,” was 86 years old.

Photo by Charlene Hewat

Elliott’s contributions to conservation and tourism in Zimbabwe are immeasurable. He was one of the first people to bring tourism to Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, and founded Touch the Wild, a tourism operation that hosted numerous celebrities, including the Queen and Prince Philip.

We then contacted Charlene Hewat, a close associate of Elliott’s Presidential Elephant Research Trust (PERT), to explain further about his conservation work. Hewat described Elliott as an extraordinary conservationist who dedicated his life to protecting elephants. “Alan’s legacy is imprinted on the wild landscapes he loved so dearly and protected so fiercely,” Hewat said in a Facebook post.

In an interview, Hewat elaborated on Elliott’s work, highlighting his efforts to protect elephants in Hwange. “He went and got a decree from President (Robert) Mugabe to protect the presidential elephants, and he received that decree, and they agreed that they would not shoot any elephants within the Dete Hwange area,” Hewat explained.

Elliott’s passing has sent shockwaves throughout the conservation community, with many paying tribute to his remarkable legacy. “He’s a legend. Everybody knows him,” Hewat said. “He was an MP in Hwange, spoke fluent Ndebele, and knew a lot of the ministers. He’s just an amazing man, a legend for Zimbabwe.”

As a testament to his enduring legacy, Elliott had asked Hewat to carry on his work with the Presidential Elephant Research Trust. “It was his vision to promote young Zimbabwean researchers, and that’s something that I share and think we can take forward for the country and for the youth,” Hewat said.