Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, [email protected]
ONE of Victoria Falls’ leading tourism and hospitality companies, Wild Horizons, has commended the recent annual Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo for continuously providing the sector a prime opportunity to grow their businesses and widen market footprint.
While some tourism and business players have stayed away from the expo claiming to have exhibited before, Wild Horizons has been a perennial exhibitor.
More than 400 exhibitors and close to 10 countries showcased at the 2024 edition of the prime tourism expo in Bulawayo at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre. Local businesses had the opportunity to engage with buyers and agents who have been commended by various operators for adding value to the industry.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) organised the annual expo, now in its 17th year, on behalf of the Government through the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
Wild Horizons runs lodges, tour activities, transfers and community projects in and around Victoria Falls, and was among the top exhibitors at the expo.
The company’s general manager, Mr Titus Maseko, said the expo has immense benefits for local businesses.
“We are a tour operating company and we run lodges as well as cover quite a number of adventure activities in Victoria Falls. We came to Sanganai/Hlanganani where we managed to meet a number of international buyers from across the world and we had such promising encounters and are looking forward to doing business,” he said.
“We have been coming to Sanganai/Hlanganani for several years and every year there is an improvement and more benefits. So, Sanganai/Hlanganani expo is actually a very important platform for Zimbabwe tourism in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Southern Africa at large,” he added.
Wild Horizons offers white water rafting, zip lines, sunset cruises, dinners at the Lookout Cafe, elephant interaction and several other activities.
The company also does transfers locally and to Kasane in Botswana and Livingstone in Zambia, doing the golden triangle. It also operates Old Drift Lodge, Wallow, Camp and is set to open a new US$8 million four-star hotel in Victoria Falls soon.
Construction of Waterfalls Lodge is underway and the new facility is expected to add to the city’s rapidly growing infrastructure momentum and is set to further enhance the country’s appeal as a prime international tourist destination.
Victoria Falls has seen a surge in infrastructure development under the Second Republic and continues to attract substantial investments in new facilities, reinforcing its role as a premier destination in the country’s tourism growth strategy.
The tourism sector, a vital foreign currency earner that employs thousands of people along its value chain, is central to achieving the Government’s Vision 2030 of making the country an upper middle-income economy.
The target is to build a US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025, with Victoria Falls playing a critical role in this achievement.
The new Waterfalls Lodge is expected to significantly contribute to this goal as it will have 60 rooms and is expected to create employment for about 100 people, adding to the more than 700 workers already employed by Wild Horizons.
Wild Horizons has been a significant player in Zimbabwe’s tourism industry since its establishment in 2004 and has since expanded to Zambia, Botswana and South Africa.
Over the years, the company has invested a cumulative US$425 million in various projects, contributing to the sector’s robust growth.
Its flagship properties include the luxurious Old Drift Lodge along the Zambezi River and the renowned Elephant Camp.
The company also operates a leading eatery, Lookout Café, on the edge of the Zambezi River Gorges and has won several conservation and hospitality awards at various fora such as the Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Expo, while Trip Advisor also rated Lookout Café, Old Drift Lodge, Elephant Camp and Imbabala Safaris, among the best. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter