SA holiday makers top Zim foreign visitors

SOUTH African holidaymakers dominated the number of foreign visitors to Zimbabwe between April and June this year at 21,5 percent of the nearly a million arrivals.

Zimbabwe recorded 987 524 arrivals during the period under review of which 60 percent were returning residents, 31 percent visitors from abroad and nine percent being transit travellers to other countries.

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) revealed this yesterday while presenting findings of the Second Quarter International Migration Statistics for 2023.

Zimstat obtained statistics for arrivals from the Department of Immigration.

Zimstat director general, Mr Taguma Mahonde, said nearly 331 000 of the country’s arrivals were foreign visitors.

“South Africa accounted for the majority of visitors during the second quarter of 2023 at 21,5 percent. 331 982 visitors came to Zimbabwe during the second quarter of 2023 of which 51,4 percent came for holiday,” he said.

Mr Mahonde said 29 percent were in transit, 18 percent came for business, 1,9 for education and 1,7 for shopping.

“The proportion of visitors from abroad who came for holiday increased by 27,8 percent during the second quarter of 2023 compared to the second quarter of 2022,” he said.

Mr Mahonde said Zambia had the second highest number of visitors to the country followed by Mozambique among neighbouring countries.

He said the United States of America dominated arrivals from overseas followed by Britain and Ireland.

Mr Mahonde said some of the countries that had a notable number of visitors include China, India, Australia, Austria, Germany and France while Botswana, Swaziland and Malawi also recorded a significant number of arrivals.

Mr Mahonde said most of the travellers used the road to access the country.

“A total of 248 536 arrivals constituting 74,9 percent of total arrivals used the road as the port of entry to get into Zimbabwe in the second quarter of 2023. In comparison, 133 757 arrivals were recorded at road ports of entry in the second quarter of 2022,” he said.

The majority of visitors by road users came through Beitbridge (73 350) followed by Chirundu (33 593).

Other ports of entry used to access the country are Plumtree, Victoria Falls, Maitengwe, Mphoengs, Nyamapanda, among other designated entry points.

Mr Mahonde said 52 percent of those who flew into Zimbabwe landed at the Robert Mugabe International Airport while 42 percent jetted through Victoria Falls International Airport with Joshua Mqabuko International Airport receiving 5,6 percent of arrivals.

The number of visitors coming to Zimbabwe who used air for their travel during the second quarter of 2023 was 83 447 representing 25, 1 percent of all arriving visitors.

The volume of visitors who arrived by air decreased by 18,1 percent from 101 951 in the second quarter of 2022. -@nqotshili