Zimbabwe tourism recovers after Mugabe’s fall

Since the fall of President Robert Mugabe in November, tourists have once again ventured into Zimbabwe.

In the first quarter of this year, the number of foreign visitors to the still spectacular Victoria Falls, the country’s flagship attraction, exploded by 48% compared to the same period in 2017.
Nationally, Zimbabwe recorded a 15% increase in the number of tourists according to official statistics.
This renewed interest was welcomed with relief by the country’s safari and cruise organizers, who were devastated by the economic collapse and climate of repeated political violence that marked the Mugabe era.

For years, tourists have stayed away from the destination Zimbabwe, frightened by its repressive regime, corrupt police, poor infrastructure and shortages of fuel or cash. The forced resignation of President Mugabe after 37 years in power and his replacement by his former right arm Emmerson Mnangagwa seem to have changed the situation.

The authorities are counting on the revival of the tourism sector, which contributes 10% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), to fill at least a little of the state’s still desperately empty coffers. But their forecasts look difficult to meet.

Zimbabwe has already opened its airspace to Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines for direct flights from their hubs to Victoria Falls. Tourists can complete their stay with a safari in the parks of Hwange (west) and Mana Pools (north), a visit to the medieval ruins of Great Zimbabwe (centre), the main archaeological site in southern Africa, or a cruise on Lake Kariba.

To attract travellers, the new government has decided to play the administrative simplification card. Nationals from 29 foreign countries can now obtain their visas once they are there. Most importantly, the state declared war on the very unpopular police roadblocks, where motorists were forced to pay bribes to escape long interrogations for minor or imaginary offences. « These roadblocks were a disaster, a real problem, » admitted the Minister of Tourism.

The authorities have embarked on a campaign to « assure the world that Zimbabwe is open for business, » President Mnangagwa’s watchword, « and remains a safe tourist destination, » Mupfumira said. « I feel safe here, » says Katelyn Pretzlaff, a Canadian tourist. « People are very welcoming. The visa process was really easy when we arrived at the border.