Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe at Gonarezhou National Park
Zimbabwe is positioning Gonarezhou National Park for increased tourism investment as the country seeks to convert its vast wildlife and wilderness assets into foreign currency earnings, employment and broader economic opportunities.
The investment potential of the park was brought into sharp focus when a group of journalists toured the vast Gonarezhou wilderness as part of a familiarisation programme linked to the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo being held in Masvingo.
The tour provided a first-hand view of the park’s tourism assets, wildlife and conservation initiatives, highlighting the scope to strengthen infrastructure and attract more visitors and private capital.
Gonarezhou is one of the country’s major tourism attractions, boasting diverse flora and fauna and extensive wilderness areas that provide a strong foundation for premium safari tourism.
Tour guides said there are over 10 000 elephants in the park, while journalists spotted herds of elephants, buffaloes and hippos during the tour, underlining the richness of its wildlife.
Conservation infrastructure was also showcased, with journalists shown an electric fence demarcating an Intensified Protection Zone (IPZ) for rhinos.
Th
e initiative shows efforts to secure key wildlife species and protect the natural resource on which the tourism industry depends.
Gonarezhou’s economic potential is further enhanced by its strategic position within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which links it with South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park.
The regional conservation landscape provides scope for cross-border tourism circuits and multi-destination safari experiences, while improved roads, accommodation, visitor facilities and utilities would strengthen Zimbabwe’s competitiveness.
Zimbabwe has been investing in infrastructure and other facilities on its side of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park as it seeks to keep pace with developments in its two partner countries.
For the private sector, this creates room for lodges, camps, tour operations, transport services and other tourism-related businesses, with increased activity expected to benefit surrounding communities through employment, local supply chains, handicrafts and food production, journalists heard.
Journalists also identified the Chilojo Cliffs as one of Gonarezhou’s most prominent attractions.
Rising a majestic 558 feet from the south bank of Runde River, the towering sandstone cliffs are remarkable for their stunning colour variations along the cliff faces.
They brainstormed on how the cliffs can be enhanced as foreign currency generating features, adding another dimension to the park’s tourism potential.
