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Ngonidzashe Chiutsi Tourism Correspondent
ZIMBABWE’S tourism can only improve if more airlines start serving the local routes to ensure that tourists do not spend much time travelling between sites, an official has said. In an interview in Bulawayo last week Australia’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Mathew Neuhaus commended the country’s tourism sector but called for more airlines to service the tourist sites around the country.
“Zimbabwe needs to have more airlines coming and flying around. There should not be just Air Zimbabwe, which has its own problems, but there should be more airlines taking people to destinations like Kariba, Victoria Falls, Hwange and Mutare. We definitely need better transport particularly air because people don’t like spending time on the road, they like to fly around,” said Mr Neuhaus.
He said Zimbabwe should take a leaf from South Africa which has many airlines.
“When you are in South Africa there are so many different airlines,” said the ambassador.
In an interview, Beneath Africa Travel and Tours managing director Mr Ranjis Nyakusengwa echoed the same sentiments and said as tourism operators they would appreciate seeing the re-opening of local airstrips that were no longer operating due to depressed business.
He said they were pushing for the re-opening of local airstrips that include Hwange and Kariba.
“Yes we are providing the road transfers to and from Kariba, but tourists should have a choice. They should choose whether they want to fly or use the road,” said Mr Nyakusengwa recently.
He, however, said they preferred tourists to travel by road so that they could explore the true nature of the country.
There are about 13 airlines flying into Zimbabwe, down from 14 following the recent withdrawal of KLM Dutch Airlines, which stopped servicing the destination due to escalating losses.
Only Air Zimbabwe and Fly Africa are flying the domestic routes.
At the country’s aviation peak in the period 1999-2003, 34 airlines were flying into Zimbabwe.
However the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe plans to have 40 airlines flying into the country by 2018, nearly trebling the current figures.
The organisation is carrying out expansion works at Victoria Falls International Airport so that bigger planes are able to land.
The cost of the expansion is $150 million and work would be completed this year.
Online Reporter