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Business Correspondent
TOURISM and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi has hailed Africa Albida Tourism’s investments in Victoria Falls saying the initiative fits into the government’s vision to boost tourism infrastructure and grow the industry to $30 billion a year.
Mzembi was speaking at the 20th anniversary celebrations of Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, which were attended by more than 200 local and regional tourism operators in December.
Africa Albida Tourism, the parent company of Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, has invested heavily in its properties over the last three years, and work has begun on Santonga, an $18 million education, entertainment and conservation park, which will interactively tell the story of Victoria Falls.
“It fits very well with my own vision on biodiversity. It’s a bio-diverse project that you’re doing under Santonga, and I want to assure you that that project should go ahead,” Mzembi said.
The new $150 million Victoria Falls International Airport, due to open sometime this year, is expected to triple capacity and will be a big player in boosting earnings to $30 billion a year, to match the Niagara Falls, said the minister.
Tourism is expected to become the catalyst for economic turnaround in Zimbabwe and Minister Mzembi hoped the investment would kick start earnings leading to the declaration of Victoria Falls as a special economic zone, which he described as a “tax haven”.
He appealed to local operators to provide input on how to shape his proposal, which could transform Victoria Falls from its current $1 billion a year economy between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
In addition to the special economic zone, the minister hoped to create an “ultra-modern” Victoria Falls on 300 hectares adjacent to the airport, to boost infrastructure and more earnings.
“Next to the airport I intend to create a Niagara, a $30 billion economy … we realise that the difference between our own falls and Niagara is that we’ve not planted any infrastructure that captures the imagination of the demographic dividend, the younger group,” said Mzembi.
He, however, said the actual falls and their immediate surroundings would remain natural and untouched.
Africa Albida Tourism chief executive Ross Kennedy said despite several tough years for the tourism industry, he believed the future of tourism at Victoria Falls and in Zimbabwe was extremely bright.
“That’s why we’ve invested millions in our products in the last few years – our first move was to add the premium luxury Victoria Falls Safari Club, which we believe sets new standards for the industry and the area in terms of quality,” Kennedy said.
“Next we created the Victoria Falls Safari Suites, which are very high quality two-and three-bedroom accommodation offerings, that have plugged a gap in the market, and now we have fully refurbished and upgraded our flagship, the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.
“We’re fully committed investors and operators in Victoria Falls, and we’ve no other intentions than to be at the top of the pile.”
The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge 20th anniversary four-day celebrations included an Amazing Race, in which six teams completed challenges at different sites in Victoria Falls, such as learning a traditional dance routine and solving a crime scene.
The guests also enjoyed the Lodge’s daily vulture culture experience, as well as local delicacies, dancing and drumming at The Boma – Place of Eating, and dinner at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge’s MaKuwa-Kuwa Restaurant to the sounds of the Detema Jazz Band.
A cruise along the Zambezi River was also part of the programme, and before guests departed they went on a tour of the Victoria Falls International Airport, which is under construction.
Ground work has begun at Santonga to be built on 80 hectares near Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.
The conservation park is expected to draw 120,000 visitors a year and is due to open in June 2016.
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