News / National
Vic Falls poised for a major facelift
28 Feb 2012 at 06:22hrs | Views
State media reports that VICTORIA Falls is poised for a major facelift ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly (UNWTO GA) 2013 as the Government has so far raised more than $200 million for different projects earmarked for the resort town. At the same time, there are reports that some regional financial institutions have availed tailor-made loan facilities for refurbishment and recapitalisation projects for industries.
Stakeholders making presentations during a meeting yesterday ahead of the visit of the UNWTO inspectorate team to Victoria Falls this week, said resources were put in place for the expansion and refurbishment of the Victoria Falls District Hospital into a state-of-the-art institution. Other projects are the upgrading of Victoria Falls International Airport, relocation of the dumpsite, availing of dust bins to every household, television and radio signal and rehabilitation of the sewer and water reticulation systems.
The acting director domestic tourism, Mr Douglas Runyowa, said the Government was taking the co-hosting of the GA seriously and therefore the need to provide a conducive atmosphere for the sector.
He said the tourism product was now tired and needed some revamping.
"We have observed that over the past six to seven years, the sector has not been refurbishing because of the challenges from unavailability of credit lines and attractive loans from banks," he said.
Mr Runyowa said the Government had released $70 million under the Zimbabwe Economic and Trade Revival Facility, which he said was also going to benefit players in the tourism industry.
"There is also the Distressed Industries and Marginalised Areas Fund (Dimaf) meant to revive Bulawayo industries, which the resource mobilisation committee has proposed that it also benefit the tourism sector. So far 40 companies in Victoria Falls have expressed interest in the fund," he said.
So far the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe has been given a $150 million lifeline for the expansion of the Victoria Falls International Airport runway, a new terminal and a tower.
The Government has also released $2,5 million for the rehabilitation of trunk roads, $822 000 for the rehabilitation of council roads, $6,9 million for the upgrading of Victoria Falls Hospital and other health facilities.
For upgrading of Victoria Falls water supply, Zinwa and Victoria Falls Municipality have been allocated about $15 million. The work includes upgrading of the water sewer plant, construction of a 1 000 cubic metres reservoir for Mkhosana and the rehabilitation and expansion of sewer ponds.
Mr Runyowa said the International Development Bank of South Africa had also come up with a $30 million facility, which he said would be accessed through the International Development Bank of Zimbabwe.
"IDB of South Africa has come up with a credit line that will be advanced to players in Victoria Falls who initially had challenges in accessing loans due to stringent conditions," he said.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Dr Sylvester Maunganidze, said this was the only chance the present generation had of staging the conference adding that the next time was likely to be after 300 years.
"So we have to make the best out of it. UN is a member state organisation and over 100 plus sovereign countries all members of UN visiting us. It therefore becomes diplomatic engagement," he said.
"We are therefore ambassadors of the country and everything we do should be in the best interest of the country."
Dr Maunganidze said Zimbabwe had it all in terms of tourist attractions and good infrastructure.
"What therefore is remaining are the little details, the finishing touches like clean rooms without mosquitoes, clean cutlery and availability of needles, buttons, toothbrushes in the rooms for the guests. They are the little things that count," he said.
A three-member UNWTO inspectorate team would be visiting Victoria Falls from 29 February to 1 March to check on progress.
Stakeholders making presentations during a meeting yesterday ahead of the visit of the UNWTO inspectorate team to Victoria Falls this week, said resources were put in place for the expansion and refurbishment of the Victoria Falls District Hospital into a state-of-the-art institution. Other projects are the upgrading of Victoria Falls International Airport, relocation of the dumpsite, availing of dust bins to every household, television and radio signal and rehabilitation of the sewer and water reticulation systems.
The acting director domestic tourism, Mr Douglas Runyowa, said the Government was taking the co-hosting of the GA seriously and therefore the need to provide a conducive atmosphere for the sector.
He said the tourism product was now tired and needed some revamping.
"We have observed that over the past six to seven years, the sector has not been refurbishing because of the challenges from unavailability of credit lines and attractive loans from banks," he said.
Mr Runyowa said the Government had released $70 million under the Zimbabwe Economic and Trade Revival Facility, which he said was also going to benefit players in the tourism industry.
"There is also the Distressed Industries and Marginalised Areas Fund (Dimaf) meant to revive Bulawayo industries, which the resource mobilisation committee has proposed that it also benefit the tourism sector. So far 40 companies in Victoria Falls have expressed interest in the fund," he said.
So far the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe has been given a $150 million lifeline for the expansion of the Victoria Falls International Airport runway, a new terminal and a tower.
The Government has also released $2,5 million for the rehabilitation of trunk roads, $822 000 for the rehabilitation of council roads, $6,9 million for the upgrading of Victoria Falls Hospital and other health facilities.
Mr Runyowa said the International Development Bank of South Africa had also come up with a $30 million facility, which he said would be accessed through the International Development Bank of Zimbabwe.
"IDB of South Africa has come up with a credit line that will be advanced to players in Victoria Falls who initially had challenges in accessing loans due to stringent conditions," he said.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Dr Sylvester Maunganidze, said this was the only chance the present generation had of staging the conference adding that the next time was likely to be after 300 years.
"So we have to make the best out of it. UN is a member state organisation and over 100 plus sovereign countries all members of UN visiting us. It therefore becomes diplomatic engagement," he said.
"We are therefore ambassadors of the country and everything we do should be in the best interest of the country."
Dr Maunganidze said Zimbabwe had it all in terms of tourist attractions and good infrastructure.
"What therefore is remaining are the little details, the finishing touches like clean rooms without mosquitoes, clean cutlery and availability of needles, buttons, toothbrushes in the rooms for the guests. They are the little things that count," he said.
A three-member UNWTO inspectorate team would be visiting Victoria Falls from 29 February to 1 March to check on progress.
Source - TC
