Operators are now supplying raincoats to their clients entering the rainforest at the expense of traders who have been providing the service for the past 22 years. The development has seen leading tour operators frequenting the rainforest with tourists.

The tour operators include Wild Horizons, ZITT, Tourism Services Zimbabwe, Silver Tours, Bush Track, Mapopoma Cruises and Dingani Tours. The tour operators shunned a meeting that was called on Friday to iron out the problem.

The only company represented at the company was Victoria Falls Anytime. The traders’ association members, irked by the snub by tour operators, then resolved to stop tourists from entering the rainforest carrying raincoats from operators.

The traders association is made up of 40 members who share 16 stalls constructed close to the rainforest.

The members have over the years been making a living from selling curios, bottled water, soft drinks and airtime recharge cards. They are also renting out binoculars and raincoats to the tourists who do not want to get wet while touring the rainforest.
For renting the raincoats, the tourists were paying between $1 and $3. On a good day, each member could take home more than  $30. The chairperson of the traders association, Mr Arthur Mutava, said their livelihood had been affected by tour operators.

“We have been providing this form of service over the years and no touring company has been providing it.

“Tourists have been paying about $3 for hiring raincoats and from nowhere, business took a nose-dive when the operators started providing the same service,” said Mr Mutava.

Mr Matthew Muleya of the traders association said operators were deliberately sabotaging business of small businesspeople.

“In a way they are sabotaging the black empowerment programme because we cannot all go and work in their companies. In addition to that, most of them ran away when tourism was at its lowest and now that arrivals are on the increase they come back and put us out of business,” said Mr Muleya.

“This is a natural resource we proudly own but some elements among us want to grab everything for themselves.”

The operations manager for Victoria Falls Anytime, Mrs Lungile Ndlovu, said her company has stopped supplying raincoats to their clients, so that small businesspeople have a share in the tourism industry.

National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya Moyo could not be reached for comment.

The National Parks and Wildlife Management are the custodians of the rainforest.

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