Zim tourism industry rakes in $827m Tourists cool off in a pool above the Victoria Falls, one of Zimbabwe’s major tourist attractions
Tourists cool off in a pool above the Victoria Falls, one of Zimbabwe’s major tourist attractions

Tourists cool off in a pool above the Victoria Falls, one of Zimbabwe’s major tourist attractions

Prosper Ndlovu Business Editor
TOURIST arrivals in Zimbabwe increased by 2.6 percent to 1,880,028 in 2014 from 1,832,583 recorded in the previous year, 0.7 percent below overall regional growth. The country scored a marginal three percent decline in total annual earnings to $827 million from $856 million in 2013.

While the percentage growth slightly falls below the Sub-Saharan growth of 3.3 percent, the country registered growth in arrivals from all the major source regions except Asia.

According to the latest tourism sector performance overview report for 2014, Zimbabwe received 85 percent of tourist arrivals from low value markets.

African arrivals dominate the list at an average 1,6 million followed by lucrative Europe at 137,000 and America at 66,000.

The Asian market accounts for a paltry 42,000 arrivals with the Middle East settling for 6,000.

“This to an extent reflects a slight decline in expenditure especially in the tourism facility by the same proportion,” read the report.

In terms of accommodation utilisation, Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls continue to constitute the majority (64 percent) of all the room and bed capacity in the country making them the major regions in accommodation.

The report indicates average room occupancy levels for Harare rose to 59 percent from 52 percent in 2013 while Bulawayo’s room occupancy dropped by eight percent from 52 percent to 44 percent.

In Victoria Falls room occupancy also fell from 53 percent to 49 percent.

Overall national average hotel room occupancy levels remained inert at 48 percent while bed occupancy level fell by a percentage point from 37 percent to 36 percent in 2014, the report noted.

Victoria Falls was, however, an exception with a foreign clientele of 73 percent.

The domestic clientele drove the accommodation sector despite slow economic growth with 78 percent of hotel clientele being local, says the report.

Despite the prevailing liquidity constraints in the wake of suppressed growth, the country managed to achieve key development in the sector.

In line with the SADC vision of promoting intra-regional travel along the lines of the Schengen visa, Zimbabwe and Zambia launched the Univisa facility last December as a pilot project pending the inclusion of other SADC states.

By the end of 2014 Zimbabwe and Zambia had launched over 3,600 Univisas.

The Univisa project came after the launch of the e-visa project by the Department of Immigration, which is designed to facilitate the online application of Zimbabwean visas by potential travellers and to eliminate the cumbersome procedure of applying through embassies.

Following the successful hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly in 2013, the country enjoyed a similar last year when it hosted the SADC Heads of State Summit in August.

During that time occupancy rates in Victoria Falls rose to 80 percent compared to 57 percent in August 2013.

The Ebenezer and Jehovah’s Witnesses Convention held in Harare in the same month also increased traffic in religious tourism.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses Convention drew 5,500 international congregates in addition to over 83,000 locals while the Ebenezer Convention drew over 55,000 congregates mostly locals.

The two events had a significant impact on the tourism economy of the capital city, with major hotels in Harare attaining 100 percent occupancy level from 20 to 26 August, 2014.

Zimbabwe has not been spared from the effects of the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa since March 2014, which is scaring away potential travellers into Africa.

“This outbreak and the publicity it received affected Zimbabwe as overseas travellers see Africa as “one destination”. Victoria Falls was worst hit by cancellations after the outbreak since Victoria Falls is an add-on destination combined with other countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia,” read the report.

It further notes concern by UNWTO about the negative impact that a new tourism tax on air passengers and hotel guests, raised in 2014 among members of the African Union, would have on Africa’s tourism sector.

“The tax would have an effect of making African destinations, Zimbabwe included, more expensive and less competitive,” it said.

According the UNWTO’s latest Visa Openness Report, 62 percent of the world’s population required a traditional visa prior to departure in 2014, down from 77 percent in 2008, as governments are beginning to recognize the importance of visa facilitation.

In the SADC region, Mozambique and Madagascar rank highest in visa openness index with indices in the 70 – 100 out of 100 while Zimbabwe ranks poorly in the 24-39 out of 100 range.

This means that Zimbabwe needs to further ease its visa regime especially to key markets.

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