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Isdore Guvamombe
Endowed with a multifarious array of man-made tourist attractions and others sired by natural phenomena, Zimbabwe has made serious in-roads not only in marketing its tourism tapestries but also in making the destination safe and highly accessible.
Thanks to the Second Republic’s progressive thinking, national peace trajectory, strategic marketing, promotion and development, anchored on the national tourism brand, Zimbabwe a World of Wonders.
Nature’s inexhaustible generosity gifted Zimbabwe with a buffet of flora and fauna; splendid geomorphology, wonderful and intelligent people and pristine wildlife, among others.
This makes Zimbabwe a wonderful and competitive tourist destination but any measure and standard. That also makes Zimbabwe stand tall and high among the world’s most attractive tourist destinations.
It is a fact not fiction, that Zimbabwe’s footprints in world tourism are fast becoming ineffaceable.
The moon of September has been set aside as the Tourism Month, after the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, (UNWTO) proclaimed September 29 as the World Tourism Day.
Zimbabweans in their broad totality, led by the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Barbra Rwodzi, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Tourism Council, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Airports Company of Zimbabwe and Tour Operators Association of Zimbabwe, organised a plethora of events nationwide to celebrate the grandeur of our tourism offerings.
The main event was in Mutoko, where Minister Rwodzi officiated.
“The performance of the tourism sector has increased significantly during the first half of 2023, wherein the country registered an increase of 62 percent international tourist arrivals, from 366 062 in 2022 to 591 524 in 2023.
“Tourism receipts increased by 16 percent from US$343,1 million in 2022 to US$397,7 million, while tourism investments registered a 24 percent increase from US$96,5 million in 2022 to US$120,1 million in 2023,
“Through the whole of Government approach, we work together with the provinces and other key stakeholders in identifying and developing tourism products such as religious tourism, sports, culture and customs tourism and many other such products,” she said. Minister Rwodzi said Mashonaland East was home to a variety of destinations which needed to be promoted to attract visitors.
“For religious tourism, Mashonaland East has a good product we want to promote here at Mtemwa Leprosy Centre and Bernard Mizeki, drawing people from all works of life.
This province is also a beacon of promoting culture and customs tourism through history, cultural heritage and traditional cuisine as evidenced by the abundant local foods showcased today. It is the home of the intangible cultural heritage, including the famous Jerusalem Mbende and other unique cultural dances such as Tsotso and Jiti. Tsindi ruins and Makurumure Falls are other products here in Mutoko too, and all our heritage we take pride in. Makurumure falls is our pride as well and we want to develop it to attract more tourists there.
“It is, therefore, imperative to preserve our rich culture and heritage for the benefit of our future generations. The province is also ideal for nature based tourism. Therefore, I urge the communities to continue protecting the natural resources in an effort to maintain the beautiful forests and its rich forest cover.”
Figures don’t lie.
In the first half of this years, Zimbabwe recorded a 108 percent increase in tourist arrivals to 271 188 in the first quarter of the year compared to the corresponding period in 2022, indicating the sector’s recovery from the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the hiatus caused by Covid-19, ZTA said during the period under review, tourism receipts improved by 36 percent compared to the same period last year.
“The first quarter of 2023 saw a 108 percent increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year. Tourism receipts rose by 36 percent compared to last year while the national average room occupancy results experienced a four-percentage point growth in average room occupancies from 33 percent in 2022 to 37 percent this year,” ZTA said in response to questions by this publication.
ZTA chief executive officer Ms Winnie Muchanyuka was quoted in the media as saying the sector received a total of 271 188 in the first quarter from 130 536 in 2022 a clear sign that the sector is on a full recovery path.
“Most markets registered growth with arrivals from Africa recording a 150 percent increase while arrivals from the Middle East rose by 373 percent, a figure that doubled in the period under review.
“We, unfortunately, recorded a 17 percent drop in the Oceania market,” she said.
“The increase in international tourist arrivals into the country is largely due to the resumption of travel and trade in the region, global tourism recovery and increased accessibility.
“This increase is also a result of promotional initiatives such as the Visit Zimbabwe, MeetInZim and ZimBho campaigns, which we embarked both locally and on the international market during the period under review.”
The growth in receipts is attributable to increased efforts at promoting Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) tourism, domestic tourism promotion and the relaxation of travel restrictions as the countries globally emerged from Covid-19 lockdowns.
Zimbabwe realised US$178,7 million in tourism receipts in the first quarter compared to US$131 million received during the same period last year.
Ms Muchanyuka said this year’s first quarter performance saw continued recovery in the accommodation sector.
“The national average room occupancy results experienced a four-percentage point growth in average room occupancies from 33 percent in 2022 to 37 percent in 2023.
“Although some regions saw decreased performance in the review period, the overall increase in occupancy levels was driven by growths in Harare, Victoria Falls and Beitbridge.
“These three regions account for over 52 percent of the national hotel room capacity and thus have a sway on the overall performance,” she said.
Below are small insights into some of Zimbabwe’s tourist attractions.
The Majestic Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls are still majestic, refreshing and unparalleled. One of the major scenes here is when on the bank, a crocodile — that huge monster of a reptile smashes through the thick riverine undergrowth, like a turbo-charged engine towards the water, splashing into the river in sudden sluggishness, before disappearing into the raging waters.
Then an array of high-powered boats puff, hobble and nod on the instigation of the waves and the high currency, much to the delight of the passengers, while canoes ward off the deadly waters. The boats range from those carrying eight people to those double decks carrying up to 120 people. Here tourists have the highest chance of seeing the crocodiles and hippos at close range.
That huge hippo yawn is almost the preserve of the Zambezi River. The sunset cruise, which is a must, gives away the silhouette ghost of sunset, where acres and acres of camera space have been gobbled in pictures to avert ephemeral memories.
Meanwhile, the Zambezi River continues carrying heaven’s vomit to the Indian Ocean, unperturbed by the events.
Then there is the dinner cruise, on the water of the mighty Zambezi, Africa’s fourth largest river, after the Congo, Nile and Niger. The Victoria Falls, the inexplicable geomorphological splendour is located almost half the length of the river and here, nature’s exhaustless generosity slashes mother earth into falls were millions of gallons of water plunge about 700 metres into an abyss of a plunge pool aptly named, the boiling pot.
Matopos
Here, balancing rocks stands unveiled, blushing in the sunrise, amid fluffy savanna grass heads, that ripple across the plains in a rusty-golden hue. Somewhere in the mind, there is a tickling taste of how Africa must have been a century ago. Matobo, Matopos or even without a name, must have been some heaven on earth, given the wild animals you see as soon as you enter.
Shaggy waterbucks display their large lyre-shaped horns on the watery fringes of Lake Matobo, a rhino runs in athletic gait intermittently looking sideways and forwards, giraffes glide across the grassy hills, between grazing zebra herds, while pairs of wide-eyed dik-dik dart into scrubby bush like overgrown hares on spindly legs.
Nyanga and Eastern Highlands
During the morning, slithers of startling clouds waft — again and again — their silver hue transforming light as it filters through the film of the silhouette horizon.
In the final ascent to the City of Mutare, huge mountains form the eastern background emotionally and artistically give the sky an eternal kiss. The scenery there is that of high massifs, juxtaposed with lush green natural forests, vast plantations of pine and wattle, perennially flowing rivers, crystal clear upland rivers cascading down-slope, deep ravines and waterfalls.
South of this green mound lies the Bvumba or Vumba Range with a distinct flora and in the belly of these mountains are the Vumba Botanical Gardens, a must see for all those who love peace and nature.
Kariba and other water bodies
Hippos flop together, male rivalry heating up in bloody territorial fights and the vanquished male is forced to lurk hapless on the open plain until it gathers sufficient confidence to mount another challenge. Squadrons of banded mongoose dart between the acacias, shaggy waterbuck wonders on the marshy dam banks, while baboons and monkeys obviously used to human visitors, lackadaisically move on, as if nothing is happening.
Hwange National Park
Here elephants frolic and gather in huge groups. Those who love nature will certainly enjoy the park, established in 1975. This is a rare spectacle.
Chimanimani
BABOON troops lounge nonchalantly on trees along a footpath while monkeys scamper nimbly between branches.
An excited whoop erupts thereafter from deep in the forest, boosted immediately by a dozen other voices, rising in volume, tempo and pitch to a frenzied crescendo.
You can imagine each voice, trying to distinguish between individual cries, pants, hoots and screams that define celebrities, the power brokers and the supporting characters. Like humans, they are quite a community!
You will later be told by a wildlife expert that this was a bonding ritual that allows baboon or monkey families to identify each other, through individualised vocal stylisation.
Butterflies flit in dappled sunlight and again you come across another family of monkeys, preening each other’s glossy coats in concentrated huddles, squabbling noisily.
Suddenly they bound onto the nearest gallery of trees and swing effortlessly. Birds, flies, bees and butterflies erupt from a riotous wild flower display of breathtaking scale and diversity.
This must be yet another community of nectar collectors. Orchids and hibiscus grow on the tangled slopes and lobelia heath and many species of meadowland wild flowers carpet the intermittent savanna plains.
Online Reporter