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The Rhodesia Herald,
February 2, 1971
AN AIR Rhodesia Viscount touched down at Wankie’s new airstrip yesterday with the first passengers from Salisbury and Kariba.
This was also the first scheduled Viscount to fly on the Salisbury, Kariba, Wankie, Victoria Falls route.
From yesterday Viscounts replaced the DC3 aircraft, which has been landing at Wankie Main Camp since 1962.
A special prefabricated building has been erected at Wankie’s new strip to accommodate passengers, baggage and officials.
The new terminals and control tower are expected to be completed by mid-year. The total cost of this project is estimated at $226 000. Work began there 20 months ago.
On the Viscount were Air Rhodesia officials, travel agents and journalists.
They were taken for game viewing in the Wankie National Park in United Touring Company buses, to lunch at Wankie Main Camp and on an inspection of Southern Sun Safari Lodge.
The lodge, which is planned for completion at a cost of $900 000 on October 18, is claimed to be the world’s most luxurious game viewing lodge.
The hotel overlooks a water hole so that game viewing will be possible from each of the 100 air-conditioned rooms.
Saved game – which was to have been culled by the National Parks and Wild Life Management Department – is now in a specially prepared paddock near the watering-hole. Elephant too are showing great interest, and are hampering building operations at the waterhole.
When completed a “ha-ha”, a 12-foot wide, 7,5 foot deep ditch will ensure that they keep their distance. With the new hotel and the viscount air link Wankie will undoubtedly become an even larger tourist attraction.
At the Main Camp there is now cottage lodge and chalet accommodation with a total of 132 beds at peak times. All the buildings have been improved.
There is also accommodation for 100 caravanners.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Air travel has been and is still the best way to transport tourists between key destinations especially in the country. Not only is it faster, but it is also safer and more convenient for visitors most of whom will want to spend a short period in the country but at the same time, enjoy as much of the country’s attraction in the short time they will be around.
The Harare, Kariba, Hwange, Victoria Falls route, which is commonly known as the milk run, remains a key air route that connects the country’s major tourist attractions. Air travel is the most convenient way of travelling between the destinations because of the rugged terrain and lack of proper roads that facilitate travelling by road.
The revival of this route especially by the country’s national airline, Air Zimbabwe is key for the revival of the tourism sector in the country, which has largely been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and negative perceptions about the country. The revival of the route especially in the immediate future will require smaller planes due to the limited capacity at airports in Kariba and Hwange.
The Government needs to invest in the rehabilitation of key infrastructure at places such as Kariba and Hwange airports to enable them to handle larger aircraft and large volumes of visitors so as to attract international airlines to fly directly to the holiday resorts.
Already the Government is working on the expansion of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while the $150 million expansion of the Victoria Falls International Airport has seen more international airlines flying directly into the resort.
Online Reporter