Victoria Falls hotels fully booked ahead of Zanu-PF Conference

Hotels and lodges in Victoria Falls are fully booked for December ahead of the 15th Zanu-PF Annual National People's Conference set for the resort town that month. More than 6,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference and operators are gearing up for brisk business.

In an interview, Hotels Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) chairperson Trythings Mutyandasvika, said the tourism sector was excited with the coming of the ruling party summit to the resort town as it will bring business for them.

"For that period, all our hotels and lodges are fully booked and that's a good thing for us as a town and the country. This is one of the best things that has happened to us as a town because the government is giving us a vote of confidence to host numerous conferences," he said.

He said the conferences are a boon as they help hotels and lodges to get exposure.

"When you host such big conferences, it's very beneficial as it markets us as a country and corrects some misconceptions people have about us as a country and a tourist destination.

"We tend to receive a lot of bookings afterwards because tourists will be aware of the country's capacity to offer the best service and we're exposing ourselves as a safe destination to the whole world," Mutyandasvika said.

Employers Association of Tourism Operators president Clement Mukwasi said tour operators are geared for brisk business during the conference period.

"This is a great opportunity for us as a town. We know that everyone who will be attending the conference would want to visit the Victoria Falls and that would greatly increase numbers in our business," Mukwasi said.

Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Sifiso Mpofu said the Zanu-PF conference puts the tourist destination on the world map which he said was good for boosting tourism in the country.

"We're always known for being a peaceful country and Victoria Falls on its own exhibits this quality which is why we host such big and numerous conferences. This is a great opportunity for us as a country as we'll attract more and more tourists," he said.

He said some provincial delegates to the conference had failed to secure accommodation due to late booking and would be forced to seek accommodation in residential areas.