Connect with us

National

Scrapping of Covid restrictions excites leading Zimbabwe tourism group

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Leading tourism operator, Africa ALBIDA Tourism group (AAT), says it expects an uptick in Zimbabwe’s tourism industry this year after government lifted travel restrictions and opened the economy as the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic subsides.

Advertisement

Acting President Constantino Chiwenga last week lifted most Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and moved the curfew time from 9 PM to midnight after noting a decline in infections and deaths.

Chiwenga also scraped the requirement for fully vaccinated returning residents and tourists to go for mandatory quarantine on arrival in Zimbabwe.

AAT chief executive Ross Kennedy said they expected the measures to herald the start of a buoyant 2022 for tourism, and operators were looking forward to once again welcoming visitors from around the globe.

Advertisement

“The announcement by the government of Zimbabwe in respect of the easing of restrictions relating to Covid-19 is so important as to be viewed as a lifesaver for tourism,” Kennedy told VicFallsLive.

“The pent-up demand for Zimbabwe and the region can now be unlocked, and the impact should be incredibly positive for all in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector.”

He said the easing of travel restrictions in source markets, such as the United Kingdom, also provided a major boost to potential arrivals from April, with bookings across Victoria Falls Safari Lodge estate’s 98 rooms already at 52 percent for that month, as well as longer-term forward bookings for 2023.

Advertisement

“The activity and forward planning for the region as witnessed by the Africa’s Eden travel show next week in Victoria Falls, coupled with new airline access and support is immense, making now an incredible time to plan your next trip and travel, “Kennedy said.

“Tourism is the fourth pillar of our economy, a significant employer and foreign currency earner, so the easing of these regulations will have further positive impacts on communities, conservation and downstream benefits for the economy.”

Access to the Victoria Falls and the region has been boosted with a number of airlines resuming flights following a suspension when the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was identified by South African scientists in late November.

Advertisement

Airlines currently flying into Victoria Falls are Fastjet, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, British Airways (operated by Comair), Airlink, Air Zimbabwe and Mack Air, as well as charter airlines, while Emirates has resumed flights to Harare.

The Lufthansa Group’s new leisure airline Eurowings Discover will start flying into Victoria Falls from March 30, increasing Frankfurt to Windhoek flights to a daily service, with a Windhoek-Victoria Falls-Windhoek tag flight three times a week.

In addition, on June 30 Fastjet will introduce four flights a week between Victoria Falls and Maun, gateway to Botswana’s Okavango Delta, as well as flights between Victoria Falls and Nelspruit, near South Africa’s Kruger National Park, from March 16, linking the region’s prime tourist destinations.

Advertisement

AAT operates a portfolio of properties in Victoria Falls, namely Victoria Falls Safari Lodge,Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suites, Lokuthula Lodges and The Boma –Dinner & Drum Show.

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Advertisement

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

Advertisement

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

on

BY STAFF REPORTER 

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Advertisement

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Advertisement

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

National

Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

Published

on


BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

Advertisement

In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

Advertisement

“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

Advertisement

He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 VicFallsLive. All rights reserved, powered by Advantage