Online Reporter
A TOUR of the Falls in Victoria Falls offers visitors a mesmerising journey into the heart of one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders.
Guided by knowledgeable experts, participants embark on a scenic exploration of the iconic Victoria Falls, marveling at the sheer power and grandeur of the cascading waters as they thunder over towering cliffs into the chasm below.
Along the way, visitors are treated to breathtaking viewpoints that offer panoramic vistas of the falls, allowing for unforgettable photo opportunities and moments of awe-inspired reflection.
In general, there has been an explosion in renewed interest in tourists flocking to the Victoria Falls after the damage inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The signs started being seen in the first half of last year. Zimbabwe recorded a 27% increase in national tourist arrivals over the first half of last year compared to 2023.
In the first quarter, arrivals rose to 370,190 from 271,975 the previous year.
Half-year figures showed 751,483 arrivals against 592,567 in the first six months of 2023, indicating a projected year end figure in the region of 2,000,000 arrivals, still some way short of the visitor highs achieved prior to the pandemic.
Visitors from overseas markets indicated a fuller recovery, recording 226,600 national arrivals, against 147,340 over the first half of 2023, a trend which if it continues through the second half of the year should break the pre-pandemic high of 515,440 overseas visitors achieved in 2018 (against the record high of 597,010 recorded in 1999).
National tourism receipts were estimated at US$493 million over the first six months of last year, against US$398 million in 2023, and indicating a year end total in the region of US$1.5 billion.
The Zimbabwe National Park Authority recorded strong figures over the third-quarter of the year, showing that on a daily average, 1,300 people were visiting Victoria Falls last year as compared to an average of 1,000 in 2023.
In April last year, Fly Namibia launched flights between Windhoek and Victoria Falls, further enhancing regional connectivity and tourism. Airlines flying into Zimbabwe have increased from three in 2020 to around 20 last year.
During the year the Victoria Falls Hotel celebrated its 120th year of operation since first opening its doors to visitors in 1904 under the banner ‘Twelve Decades of Distinction.’
Around January through to March, the Zambezi River fills up to dramatic levels from the summer rains.
This makes for spectacular views of the Victoria Falls − which become more intense as the river’s flow increases.
Spray from the world’s largest sheet of falling water rises to heights of over 400 metres, sometimes even twice as high, and is visible from up to 48 kms away.
Victoria Falls is famous for this majestic water spectacle, best viewed from January to March, when the ‘smoke’ from its spray and ‘thunder’ from its roaring mass of water is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
The rains transform the bush into a vibrant, green retreat, offering breathtaking scenery and incredible photo opportunities.
The grass is at its most nutritious in this period, the rainforest flowers are in bloom, and the Baobab trees start to fruit. − thevictoriafalls.com/wildhorizons/wildzambezi.com
