Zimbabwe back to record tourist numbers

ZIMBABWE'S top resort town, Victoria Falls, has received a record number of tourists and healthy forward bookings, according to Africa Albida Tourism (AAT).

AAT chief executive, Ross Kennedy, said monthly measurements across 10 hotels in Victoria Falls revealed a 13 percent increase in occupancy, with more than 5 000 additional rooms sold over the first three months of 2018 compared with the same period last year.

"Talking to my colleagues in the town, it is clear that forward bookings are much stronger than usual for the rest of 2018 and all indicators for 2019 reflect continued growth," says Kennedy.

These bookings, he says, suggest that Victoria Falls is heading towards becoming a one-season destination, meaning a high season all year round with short troughs here and there.

Other indicators included a 25 percent growth in revenue across the 10 hotels over the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year as well as an 11 percent increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR), a key measurement.

"The number of new rooms either under construction and/or about to open adds further evidence of the confidence that existing and new investors are showing in Victoria Falls as a tourist destination," said Kennedy.

Victoria Falls is not alone in drawing large numbers of tourists, with nearby Hwange National Park experiencing a busy year last year and also receiving significant growth and new investment into new camps and lodges, said Kennedy.

"There are four or five new camps and lodges that have opened or are about to open in the Hwange area as well as two or three new investors into existing national parks.

"On the back of this very clear demand for Victoria Falls and the region, airlines such as Airlink are increasing capacity on the Cape Town-Victoria Falls route from July."

Reports from Matopos, Mana Pools and Kariba also suggest that arrivals and interest are significantly up, but air access needs to be improved to these destinations, and the self-drive market, both local and international to return, he says.

"Together with this growth trend, the industry looks forward to the day when our national airline, Air Zimbabwe, flies tourists around Zimbabwe to our destinations, with improved access for domestic tourists and visitors alike."