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Senior Reporter
THE tourism sector has retained last year’s rates for tours and transfers — a move aimed at attracting more arrivals. Tour operators in the resort town of Victoria Falls told Chronicle Business that maintaining a “freeze” on the rates would ensure the country remains competitive.Lion Encounter general manager Steve Jonasi said: “This year we have not increased rates and it is my feeling that we need to maintain this strategy for next year.
“The problem we have is the unavailability of long haul flights direct to Victoria Falls and as such all long haul flights land and take off from Johannesburg.
“As such South Africa becomes first choice before tourists pay more to come to Victoria Falls. They can see game there and therefore the need to control our prizes to attract them here.”
A snap survey showed that water rafting costs $132. Elephant ride $140, lion walk $140, bungee jumping $135, sunset boat cruises $45 and tour of the Victoria Falls is at $30 for international tourists, $20 regional tourists and $7 locals.
Airport shuttles are pegged at $30 one way. These were the same rates charged last year.
Clement Mukwasi a tourism executive said on the back drop of the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly, operators had agreed to stick to 2013 rates.
“We agreed that as an industry, we should complement government’s efforts in marketing the country by going out there attending travel shows, exhibitions and carnivals to sale our destination. We need to persuade more people to visit us now instead of increasing rates,” he said.
Ben Tesa of Khanondo Safaris said the resort town and the country should have affordable prizes to fight regional competition.
“We don’t want to make the country more expensive for tourists. So we need to maintain the rates to attract more arrivals,” he said.
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