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Lovemore Chikova Development Dialogue
The picture of Germany-based aviation journalist, Andreas Spaeth, hoisting the Zimbabwean flag on the Victoria Falls International Airport tarmac left an indelible image following the landing of a Eurowings Discover flight in the resort town on Tuesday.
“Triumphal first landing ever of a wide-body direct flight from Europe today with @eurowings,” he wrote on Twitter, with the message accompanied by the image. “Discover #A330 touching down in Victoria Falls #Zimbabwe. I was happy to be part of it #avgeek.”
The image and the message told so many stories about Zimbabwe’s resilience and persistence that has seen the New Dispensation’s engagement and re-engagement policy bearing fruits.
Well, it is common knowledge that once illegal sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe in the early 2000s, a number of airlines, especially those from Europe, shunned the country as they followed the policy of isolation that was being implemented by their governments.
Zimbabwe became isolated, not because it had done something wrong, but because it had asserted its sovereignty through the acquisition of land from some white farmers for equitable distribution.
This policy of isolation affected business between Zimbabwe and some European countries and the United States.
When the New Dispensation came into being in 2017, President Mnangagwa made it clear that Zimbabwe could not continue being unnecessarily isolated by other countries.
He pushed the policy of engagement and re-engagement to ensure that business starts taking place with other countries.
The coming in of Eurowings Discover, the latest airline to fly into Zimbabwe in recent times, is a clear indication that the engagement and re-engagement policy is working.
The policy is supported by other policies such as Zimbabwe is Open for Business.
Now, journalists like Spaeth and those who wish to travel to Zimbabwe have become the direct beneficiaries of the engagement and re-engagement policy.
It was pomp and fanfare when the Airbus A330 of the new Lufthansa Group leisure airline Eurowings Discover arrived at Victoria Falls International Airport from Frankfurt at exactly 11:15am on Tuesday.
Eurowings Discover became the first intercontinental airline ever to offer direct flights to Victoria Falls.
It will have three weekly direct flights from Frankfurt in Germany to Victoria Falls International Airport.
The coming of Eurowings Discover happens a few months after another international airline Qatar Airways started flying into Zimbabwe three times a week at the end of last year.
This interest in Zimbabwe by popular international airlines shows that the country’s skies are open for business, ultimately underlining the policy that Zimbabwe is Open for Business.
The coming in of Eurowings Discover underlines Zimbabwe’s status as a destination of choice for tourism from that market.
In fact, before making the final decision to come to Zimbabwe, the airline should have done its research and discovered the overwhelming interest in the Zimbabwean market from Europe.
It is envisaged that more airlines from Europe will start coming to Zimbabwe, leading to the growth of the local tourism.
Activity in tourism will also have a positive impact on the economy.
The upgrading of Victoria Falls International Airport is now bearing results as any type of aircraft can now land safely.
The now elegant and imposing structure at the airport that meets international standards was constructed by Jiangsu International Economic and Technical Co-operation Group of China.
The construction works included a new four-kilometre long and 60 metres wide runway, an international terminal building, a fire station, control tower and installing of state-of-the-art specialist aviation equipment.
The vision of constructing the airport was to increase reception of international tourists from 500 000 people per year to nearly two million year following.
And this dream is not too far from being achieved, with more international airlines eyeing the lucrative route, considering Victoria Falls’ proximity to other tourist destinations in the region.
Wide body airplanes such as Boeing 747 and 767 and Airbus 340 and 380 are now able to take off or land on the newly-built airfield runway at Victoria Falls International Airport.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona noted that the coming of Eurowings to Victoria Falls would have a big impact on tourism and travel.
“The story of Zimbabwe’s newly conferred city and Southern Africa’s tourism capital, the Majestic Victoria Falls, continues to be told far and wide, reverberating into the ears of our global citizenry,” he said.
“Eurowings Discover has automatically become a player in connecting this city to more friends and new business partners. We treat the introduction of air services by Eurowings Discover as a seal of approval of our tourism destinations, as a bold endorsement of our Government’s ease of doing business and promotion of investment policies in line with the country’s mantra Zimbabwe is open for Business.
“This also signifies a milestone and the resilience by the travel industry amidst the pandemic.
“It is, therefore, heartening that against such odds, Eurowings Discover is still standing tall by this demonstration; wherein they are increasing their network by opening new destinations. I am informed that Zimbabwe is Eurowings Discover’s fifth and latest destination into Africa as it has launched flights into Windhoek, Mauritius, Egypt and Morocco.”
Minister Mhona said Eurowings Discover’s flights will drive the development of tourism in Zimbabwe and the Kavango Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KAZA).
“Under the new dispensation led by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Cde, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa, which seeks to grow Zimbabwe to be an Upper Middle-Income Economy by the year 2030; air transport plays a critical role in enabling this endeavour as it opens and connects markets, facilitates trade and enables industries to link into global supply chains,” he said.
“It is our hope, therefore, that as this new destination will be facilitating tourism, cultural and business exchanges, economic opportunities will boom in this city and the trans-Mediterranean, people to people relations between our citizens will improve.”
Minister Mhona said the launch of the Eurowings flight coincided with the rehabilitation and upgradation of local airports to accommodate long and wide aircraft such as those which the Lufthansa Group owned.
“We are also working on substitution of equipment to enhance passenger facilitation, modern check-in counters, baggage handling access control and installation of modern navigation equipment,” he said.
“Air transport, leveraged by robust airport infrastructures as we thrive at our airports, is pivotal to the economic growth of our country. The aesthetic glamour and attractive splendour of airport infrastructure is a guaranteed nectar of tourism leading to other positives such as trade, and regional integration. It improves the movement of people and goods in a more cost-effective way.”
Eurowings Discover Chief Executive Officer, Captain Wolfgang Raebiger, perhaps summed up the importance of this flight both to Zimbabwe and Europe as a whole.
“This flight marks a special milestone for our airline Eurowings Discover,” he said after the flight landed at Victoria Falls. “We are proud to be the first intercontinental airline offering direct flights to Victoria Falls as of today.
“It has never been easy for travellers from all over Europe to get to know this beautiful country, its culture and kind-hearted people and of course, the stunning natural wonder, Victoria Falls.”
What this means is that Zimbabwe should work on its tourism destinations to ensure they become more attractive to a variety of tourists. More activities should be added to menu at the tourism destinations.
Germany Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Udo Vol said the coming in of Eurowings demonstrated Zimbabwe was on the radar of international tourists.
“Travellers from Germany constitute an important factor in the international tourism business,” he said. “Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is an extremely beautiful and attractive destination in Africa.
“Therefore, I very much welcome the fact that tourists from Germany venturing into Africa are now being provided a much easier access not only to the majestic Victoria Falls, but to Zimbabwe altogether. At the same time, a fast route to Germany is now available to the people of Zimbabwe.”
Eurowings Discover is a new leisure airline of the Lufthansa Group.
It joins other international airlines already flying into Zimbabwe such as Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways, South African Airways, ComAir, British Airways and RwandAir.
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