More hotels needed in Victoria Falls

VICTORIA Falls does not have adequate accommodation in terms of the available rooms in hotels and lodges, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive, Mr Karikoga Kaseke said.

Addressing the media in Victoria Falls on the sidelines of the Africa Travel Association (ATA) 37th World Congress, he  said tourism investment was now a major priority to allow for more investors to provide accommodation.

"Victoria Falls is under-hotelled. We are far below in terms of the available rooms for tourists. In the next five, seven to 15 years the present numbers will be little. We need to invest in accommodation as the tourism industry," he said.

He said there were slightly over 2 200 rooms in Victoria Falls - a number, he said, was far too low compared to the projected increase in arrivals in the country’s tourism hub.

"If we maintain this level, we will be crying. We need to increase by 1 000 to 1 500 in the next five years."

Mr Kaseke also said there was a need to invest in night life in the resort town.

Meanwhile, Mr Kaseke said Zimbabwe had broken the ATA record by having the highest number of tourism ministers and delegates attending the 37th congress.

He said there were 13 ministers from countries such as Senegal, Ghana, Central African Republic, Gambia, Chad, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Uganda.

"We are very happy with the development and this is an endorsement of the country after a rough patch that saw arrivals nosedive to as low as 1,2 million tourists from a high of 2,2 million arrivals," he said.

Mr Kaseke said the country was still second in arrivals in the region after South Africa and was number four on the continent.

ATA executive director Mr Edward Bergman said the organisation had endorsed the country as a place for tourists to come and do business.

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