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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls is warming up for brisk business during the 34th Sadc Summit which begins here next week with operators already registering increased business subscriptions.
The hospital sector has already announced its hotels were fully booked and yesterday the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority reported that at least 150 foreign delegates failed to secure accommodation in the resort town.
ZTA chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke said his organisation had since sought alternative accommodation for them in Hwange, the nearest town.
He told Business Chronicle the overwhelming numbers coming for the regional conference were a sign the country’s tourism industry was on the rebound.
Kaseke said the South African delegation was short by 85 rooms as it is bringing more than 100 delegates while Tanzania needs more than 20 extra rooms because they are bringing more than 30 people.
“All hotels are fully booked and unfortunately a lot of people don’t have accommodation. I will give examples of South Africa which needs 85 rooms more, Tanzania 20 and Botswana 15,” he said.
Victoria Falls residents are cashing in on the situation as they are providing accommodation to delegates in their homes in the suburbs.
They charge between $10 and $20 per room per day depending on the location while some are charging $50 according to a snap survey by Chronicle.
Said Kaseke: “Our own people are going to be staying in Hwange. Zimbabweans are going to stay in Hwange as every other lodge here in Victoria Falls is fully booked and they will be coming from there for the summit. Those with good private houses are helping out.”
He also said lodges in Hwange were fully booked.
Zimbabwe launched the tourism policy towards revival of the sector last month and Kaseke said the Sadc summit was an opportunity for the country to market itself extensively.
“This is what we want for our tourism. It is good and the summit brings opportunities, which is important for the Victoria Falls community and the country at large. We must push for more of these not only in Victoria Falls but also in Bulawayo, Gweru and Harare,” Kaseke said.
“It is sad that the conference centre in Gweru is underutilised when we could be using it but in Harare there is the International Jehovah’s Witness Conference coming up. We need these kind of business tourism conferences for our tourism and this is an opportunity we have as Zimbabwe to attract more and more tourists.”
The Victoria Falls municipality and tour operators also said they were geared for brisk business.
“We’re definitely being exposed to the whole world as a town that Victoria Falls is a safe destination. Hotels are full to capacity and that will also help us because they are using our facilities and water and at the end of the day they will be able to pay bills,” Victoria Falls mayor Councillor Sifiso Mpofu said.
Representing tour operators, Clement Mukwasi of Shearwater said expectations were high that business opportunities would match last year’s UNWTO.
He urged authorities to allow viewing of attraction centres at night, saying that would further boost tourism because at the moment all activities were done during the day.
“We’re very busy and getting business similar to the one we got during UNWTO. However, during the conference the kind of business we will get will be determined by the programme of events as we have seen in previous events that if no free space is allocated to delegates they won’t have time to visit areas of attraction and that on its own kills business,” Mukwasi said.
He added, “Every delegate who comes to Victoria Falls for the first time would want to visit the rainforest and we can increase tourist numbers by opening night visits.”
Bongani Ndlovu