Big Five Explorer

The governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe are in a mad scramble to complete a document to be given to UNESCO on the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site. The report was first requested by UNESCO in 2002 and then again in 2006. Various deadlines have been passed and extensions given. The latest deadline of February 1, 2010 has again passed, and UNESCO has received no document. In 2007, the joint Zambia/Zimbabwe team requested for financial assistance in the amount of US$30,000 to help them to undertake the report. UNESCO gave them this assistance but still has no report.

The private sectors on both sides of the border are very alarmed at their governments’ inability to produce this document. Not only is the report important for the continued luxury of having the Victoria Falls as a World Heritage Site, but it is also important in its content.

UNESCO required the governments to form a Joint Management Team and an Integrated Management Plan for the site. It also requested that certain issues were addressed. The main issue in 2006 was Zambia’s worrying commitment to further development within the site; development which UNESCO felt compromised its beauty and integrity. Other concerns were on invasive species such as lantana and water hyacinth; pollution in the river; the water extraction by Zambia for hydro-electricity generation; and the continued licensing of helicopters, microlights, and other tourism services.

To be fair to both governments, some measures have been undertaken to protect the World Heritage Site. A balloon operation, which started its life in Zimbabwe and then moved over to Zambia, was discontinued. The lantana on the Zambian side is being eradicated with private sector assistance; in the meantime, though, the lantana has become a forest on the Zimbabwe side. Again, on the Zambian side, the water hyacinth problem is being tackled. The development of a hotel on the Zambian side was stopped because of concerns from the private sector but still rumbles on in the background.

The Victoria Falls World Heritage Site was proclaimed in 1989. It covers the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and the Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe. A buffer zone surrounds the site, which extends to a 30 kilometer radius around the Victoria Falls. When both governments signed the agreement with UNESCO in 1989, they committed themselves to work together for the protection of the Victoria Falls and its surrounding area. It seems that their half-hearted attempts at protection will avail them nothing if they cannot produce one report and work together.

There is a small window for Zambia and Zimbabwe to submit the report before the 2010 session of the World Heritage Committee; all documents have to reach UNESCO by March 15. The scramble to complete the document is to try to meet that date. In the meantime, a large delegation from Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism starts a three-week tour of Europe, visiting London, Paris, Berlin, and Madrid, to promote tourism. As Victoria Falls is Zambia’s main tourist attraction, one can only wonder how this team will explain to the world how Zambia’s main tourist attraction has been downgraded, while they were on a tour to promote it.

Source: eTurbo News (http://www.eturbonews.com/14631/victoria-falls-world-heritage-status-under-threat)

THE Zimbabwe Council for Tourism will spend US$3 million on equipping critical service personnel with essential customer service skills ahead of the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa in June.

ZCT, through the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, obtained US$1,5 million from a local non-governmental organisation, Zimhost, for the personnel training initiative.

The tourism sector representative body would chip in with an additional US$1,5 million towards the US$3 million personnel training programme.

ZCT president Emmanuel Fundira told Herald Business that the initiative would cover all critical customer service personnel from both the private and public sectors ahead of the football showpiece.

Mr Fundira said the training programme would involve key service personnel from such areas as the tourism sector, immigration, police, army and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, among many others.

The aim, said the ZCT boss, was to change the customer service culture in the country for better to reap full benefits from the World Cup.

“We have secured funding from an NGO (Zimhost) for improvement of the customer service delivery system and we will train all stakeholders who are Zimbabwean nationals to improve customer service.

“We sought to partner Government in promoting tourism and this came through support from the NGO in which the parties will each contribute 50 percent to the total budget for the training programme.

“We initiated the idea to train people in customer service in various facets so that when we interface with visitors, there is a marked difference in the national

customer service delivery culture,” he said.

Zimhost was formed to foster the spirit of unconditional, collective hospitality in Zimbabwe by improving service standards nationally through training, and creating awareness of the importance of the individual’s role in their place of work, and as ambassadors of their community and of their country.

Founding sponsors were the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Organisation Training & Development and African Sun Limited, Delta Corporation, Qantas Airways, Rainbow Tourism Group, United Touring Company, Meikles Africa, Barclays Bank, Abercrombie & Kent, Europcar Interrent and Cresta Hospitality.

Mr Fundira cited the usual chaotic manner in which immigration formalities were handled at Beitbridge as falling short of expectations.

He said there was a world of difference in the quality of customer service between hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, the closest neighbour with the capacity to handle spillover tourists from the soccer showcase.

It was against this background that Mr Fundira said Government was overly excited about private sector efforts to assist in ensuring Zimbabwe was best prepared for the global soccer show.

ZCT had been worried that lack of financial resources to fund tourism promotion initiatives would make it difficult for the country to draw the full benefits of South Africa’s hosting of the World Cup.

This was after ZTA received a US$400 000 allocation from the National Budget, which the private sector considered negligible, to push the national tourism agenda.

ZTA had projected that the country could rake in more than US$500 million if adequate preparations were made to promote the local tourism industry ahead of the football extravaganza.

However, this appeared a difficult feat to achieve in the face of the financial resources available to fund preparatory requirements.

Source: All Africa.com (http://allafrica.com/stories/201001070717.html)

MOST hotels and tourist resorts in the country were filled up during the past Christmas and New Year holidays with some achieving 100 percent in bookings.

The latest statistics imply that the formation of the inclusive Government has inspired the return of confidence in key source markets and mostly the domestic market.

Figures released by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) indicated that bookings in the prime resort area of Victoria Falls were between 80 and 90 percent.

Apart from Victoria Falls, the survey also mentioned Nyanga, whose bookings were also looking good ranging from 60 to 70 percent, while Matopos and Masvingo were around 65 percent.

City hotels, however, recorded low occupancies of about 30 to 40 percent as most people were moving from the hustle and bustle of the city to holiday resorts.

The high turnout of bookings is, however, attributed to promotions that are being run by most hoteliers in a bid to encourage domestic tourism to make up for the gap left by international tourists.

The full year to December 2008 had seen the tourism industry suffering a 22 percent decline in arrivals; from 2,5 million in 2007 to 1,9 million.
Accommodation utilisation is, however, expected to rise, following the stabilisation of the economy and the demand resulting from the expected increases in tourist arrivals. Business delegations hunting investment opportunities in Zimbabwe, aid agencies and diplomats have been flying into the country at increased frequency since the signing of the Global Political Agreement, signifying the resurgence of hope.

“It is a clear sign that there is a recovery from last year,” Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chairman Mr Shingi Munyeza said, referring to the improved performance. “But next year will give a better signal. If you look at the statistics you will see that most of the tourists were business travellers, it’s tricky to compare because last year was an election year.”

Zimbabwe Council for Tourism (ZCT) president Mr Emmanuel Fundira attributed the positive growth to the introduction of multiple currencies, which has stimulated domestic tourism this year as it improved disposable incomes.

“The dollarised economy has brought stability to the sector, which now allows locals to travel to resort towns around the country.

“There is now flexibility on the spending power of the people,” he said.

He added that most hotels and lodges outside the capital were fully booked for the festive season, as many people wanted to spend the holidays away from where they lived.

“Bookings were made as early as November,” he said.

According to ZCT, domestic tourism is now operating at above 60 percent. Mr Fundira said increased domestic tourism would improve revenue collection for the sector.

Mr Fundira, however, noted that there has been a flip side to the promotions as some tourists have taken the promotional prices — which are lower than the normal prices — to mean that local hotels were now engaging in a two-tier pricing system.

He said contrary to this assumption, local hotels have rather adopted what is known internationally as the variable pricing system where prices vary depending on the time one books into a hotel.

Source: Sunday Mail Zimbabwe (http://www1.sundaymail.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=4392&cat=19)

The Scottish explorer, David Livingstone, is believed to have been the first white man to view this magnificent curtain of falling water and he named it in honor of Queen Victoria, the British monarch reigning at the time.

Victoria Falls
Photo: Irving Spitz

The falls are formed as the Zambezi River plummets in a vertical drop into a chasm carved by its waters in the basalt plateau.

The total width of the Victoria Falls is more than one and a half kilometers and the height is over 100 meters. It is twice as high and almost twice as wide as North America’s Niagara Falls. It is no surprise that Victoria Falls makes the list of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

To witness the sight of millions of gallons of turbulent water cascading over a sheer precipice into a narrow gorge is an unforgettable experience. Between February and May, whenthe falls are at their most spectacular, more than 500,000 cubic meters of water a minute flow over the edge.

The spray from the falls typically rises to a height of over 400 meters and sometimes even twice as high, and is visible from up to 50 km. away. For this reason, the local inhabitants refer tothe falls as ” Mosi-oa-Tunya,” or “the smoke that thunders.”

During the day, at a close vantage point, the spray creates a brilliant rainbow effect. At sunrise when viewed from a small distance away, the spray produces dazzling color effects. During the flood season it is impossible to see the foot of the falls and most of its face. At this time, the walks along the cliff opposite it are in a constant shower and shrouded in mist.

The Zambezi River forms the boundary between Zimbabwe in the south and Zambia in the north. The falls can be seen from both countries, but it is generally acknowledged that the view is more impressive from the Zimbabwean side. A trip down the river reveals abundant wild life including hippos and crocodiles.

European settlement of the Victoria Falls area started around 1900. The driving force was Cecil John Rhodes. Born in England in 1853, he migrated to southern Africa at an early age. He became a diamond prospector, formed the De Beers Mining Company and ultimately became prime minister of the Cape Colony.

His dream was a railway extending through the African continent from the Cape to Cairo. The railway eventually reached the Zambezi River in 1904. Rhodes planned the bridge across the river and insisted it be built where the spray fromthe falls would fall on passing trains. The bridge was constructed in England and the different parts were sent by ship and rail and erected piecemeal from both sides of the river. Today this bridge still carries traffic across the river and is a site for bungee jumping into the narrow gorge.

The legendary and gracious colonial-style Victoria Falls Hotel is situated in a unique setting overlooking the Victoria Falls. From the immaculate and lush tropical gardens, and terraces of the hotel, there is a sweeping vista of the bridge and the spray from the falls.

Construction began in 1904 and it was originally envisioned as a temporary wooden structure with a corrugated iron roof to house workers building the bridge. With the increase in tourists, it was decided to erect a permanent building. Today, the hotel retains its gracious old world charm and ambience.

This is evident in all public areas, including lounges, bars, dining room and library. All furnishings are in harmony of the time of the original building. The different sections ofthe hotel are connected by wide corridors with lofty ceilings.

Each corridor houses a unique photographic collection displaying the illustrious history of the hotel and documenting the famous personages who stayed there. One of the great highlights was the visit of the British royal family in 1947.

From the gardens of the hotel, a short walk takes you to the falls. Because of the wildlife, visitors are accompanied by a ranger. On the way back, I was accosted by three elephants. I whipped out my camera and started to photograph. A bellow and stamping of feet from one of these pachyderms sent me sprinting away with great alacrity.

The name Zimbabwe is derived from the local language and means “great houses of stone.”

This stone type of building was characteristic of an independent African state which reached its zenith between the 13th and 14th centuries. Originally this country was part of the British Empire and was known as Southern Rhodesia (in honor of Cecil Rhodes). It became a self-governing British colony in 1923 and achieved independence after a long war and much bloodshed in 1980. Since independence it has been governed by Robert Mugabe.

Tragically for the inhabitants, there is gross corruption, economic mismanagement and human rights abuse. Despite having large mineral reserves including diamonds and platinum, Zimbabwe has one of the lowest life expectancy rates and highest rates of inflation in the world. Up till recently, banknotes of up to $100 trillion were in circulation. In view of this, the recently elected prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, has allowed transactions to be conducted with US dollars or South African rand.

The visitor is thus faced with a surreal situation. Inside the confines of the Victoria Falls Hotel, there is opulence and wealth, outside abject poverty. The few shops have empty shelves and lack all but minimum basic provisions. The unfortunate locals beg for toiletries from the bathrooms ofthe hotel , any old used clothing, indeed anything. Despite their miserable situation, the people are friendly, peaceful and appear resigned to their dismal fate. The sad look on their faces still haunts me today.

The writer, emeritus professor of medicine, is an avid traveler and photographer. He frequently writes, reviews and lectures on medical topics, music, art, history and travel. Additional pictures from this as well as other trips can be seen on www.pbase.com/irvspitz

Source: Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364509465&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull)

CHIRUNDU (Reuters) – Zambia and Zimbabwe’s new one-stop border post will help to facilitate trade between the two countries and save about $486 million a year in logistical costs, a senior official at the agency in charge of the project said.

Trucks using the Chirundu post, about 136 km south of Lusaka, will take two hours to clear the post instead of the two to five days it used to take, Juma Mwapachu, secretary general of the Eastern African Commission, said late on Saturday, when the border post was opened.

The East African Commission, a part of the intergovernmental East African Community, managed the project to build the border crossing.

“The one-stop border post will lead to logistical efficiency and about $486 million will be saved annually in costs that would have been incurred due to prolonged delays at the border,” Mwapachu said.

“The transit time will become more predictable and this will enhance the trade competitiveness for the two countries.”

A World Bank study showed that the major contributor to the high cost of transport was lack of facilitation, such as the improvement of border clearance procedures, Mwapachu said.

Zambian President Rupiah Banda, who was at the opening ceremony for the crossing said the one-stop border post would promote the smooth and efficient flow of goods, resulting in increased inter-regional trade.

“If we facilitate trade and reduce the cost of doing business as well as improve the flow of foreign direct investment, the result will be increased growth and prosperity in our region,” Banda said.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told the launch ceremony that border post was a practical demonstration of regional integration and asked for investment in the congested border crossing between South and Zimbabwe.

“We are appealing for development and cooperation partners to join us in the development of Beitbridge into a one-stop border post to complement the efficiencies at Chirundu,” Mugabe said.

A report by the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa in November showed service costs were high in sub-Saharan Africa due to poor roads, water and power networks and the region needed to double its infrastructure spending to $93 billion a year to improve it.

Source: Reuters Africa (http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE5B505220091206)