eBusiness Weekly
Tapiwanashe Mangwiro
Zimbabwe’s tourism sector is set to experience the “first” holiday season in two years without Covid-19 restrictions, prompting industry players to strike a “cautiously optimistic” tone for the festive season.
The industry has been running on fumes for much of the past two years, hit by pandemic-induced lockdowns and international travel restrictions that triggered a fight for survival even among heavyweights such as African Sun and Cresta Hotels, and forcing smaller establishments such as bed-and-breakfasts to shut their doors permanently.
Many businesses that depend on tourism, including tour operators and hoteliers, see signs that even more tourists, compared to the first nine months of the year, could start streaming in as the summer season swings into full force, providing a badly needed boost for tourism stakeholders.
“The tourism stakeholders earned a relatively better profit in the last six months than they did during the two brutal waves of Covid,” says Anald Musonza of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Matabeleland chair.
“The early bookings have jam packed the months of December and January. Most of the rooms have been booked in Bulawayo and some smaller hotels in Victoria Falls and Hwange.”
Musonza said the total percentage of bookings has increased by 80 percent compared to the summer months of 2020 and 2021.
“Our fraternity was the worst hit in the last two years. But, if the bookings keep on growing at the same rate, then the tourism industry can retain its original shape in terms of economy.”
According to Tourism Business Council chairman, Paul Matamisa, locals dominate the number of tourists in the year so far as families take time to shrug off the mundane day-to-day life to enjoy the holidays in resort towns.
Popular resorts include Kariba, Nyanga, Vumba, Matopos, Hwange and Victoria Falls.
“For the industry, it’s been in survival mode for the past two years, with the upcoming festive being the last part of the year in which numbers can be significant. Resorts across the country will see favourable business over the holidays, while city hotels traditionally see a decline,” Matamisa said.
Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe Representative, Barbra Murasiranwa, believe the new flights will improve air connectivity between Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and source markets.
“These flights are adding capacity considering that most of our tourists connect via Johannesburg and the addition of Heathrow and Manchester is an added bonus.
“We are really excited because this is going to help connectivity in Victoria Falls, Bulawayo and into Zimbabwe generally,” Murasiranwa said.
Of the tourist arrivals in the second quarter, 62,7 percent were from Africa
with Europe accounting for 20,9 percent while the other regions contributed 16,4 percent.
“The buoyant results for the second quarter remain closely hinged to the resilience of the domestic market with the domestic clientele accounting for an average of 94,7 percent which was hedged by MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions) business,” HAZ said in its second quarter report.
International tourist arrivals stood at 126 955 during the quarter, an improvement when compared to the same period last year.
The positive performance was on account of a freer global travelling environment when compared to the whole of last year.
