adminSydney Kawadza Senior Writer
Zimbabwe and Zambia have invited their counterparts in Angola, Botswana and Namibia for the full implementation of the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier uni-visa system.The KAZA was an arrangement implemented by Zimbabwe and Zambia on an experimental basis where a visitor pays visa fees once and enters the two countries on different occasions.
In an interview on the sidelines of the State of KAZA 2016 Symposium in Victoria Falls, executive director Dr Morris Mutsambiwa said the experimental uni-visa was a success.
“We ran the uni-visa for 12 months as a pilot project starting in November 2014 to December 2015 and this was very successful.
“There were lessons learnt which we are now addressing.”
Dr Mutsambiwa said the two countries that were part of the experimental phase invited their counterparts for its full implementation.
“The counterparts, (Angola, Botswana and Namibia), are currently consulting in their own countries but we are expecting them to come on board,” Dr Mutsambiwa said.
Zimbabwe recorded a nine percent increase in tourist arrivals during the KAZA uni-visa trial period.
The 2015 figures, according to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, shot to 2 056 588 compared to 1 880 028 for 2014, driven by visitors from the American region.
The ZTA noted that compared to 2014 figures, America increased its contribution by 15 percent, Oceanic (13 percent), followed by Africa and Europe with 10 percent and 9 percent respectively.
However, visitors from the Middle East dropped by 38 percent, as did Asia by 16 percent during the same period.
According to the Zimbabwe visa regime Category B visitors from UK/Ireland pay $55 for single entry and $70 for double entry.
Visitors from Canada pay $75 for single entry while the rest of the world pays $30 and $45 for single and double entries respectively.
The KAZA uni-visa regime costs US$50 for multiple entry between Zimbabwe and Zambia. All countries in Category B get visas at point of entry and they are the countries targeted by the KAZA.
The KAZA TFCA is Africa’s largest conservation landscape and the world’s largest trans-frontier conservation initiative.
It represents a bold commitment on the part of the five countries; Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, who have entered into a partnership to conserve biodiversity at scale and to market this biodiversity using nature-based tourism as the engine for rural economic growth and development.
The KAZA Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the five partner countries in December 2006 at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Five years later, leaders of the five partners signed the KAZA Treaty in Luanda, Angola in August 2011.
Online Reporter