AN accommodation crisis is looming at the resort town of Victoria Falls, a few days before the opening of the much-hyped United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly, as hotels and lodges in the resort town have been overbooked.
Richard Muponde /Gamma Mudarikiri
Zambia and Zimbabwe have attracted the highest number of delegates in the history of the organisation. Out of a total UNWTO membership of 165 countries, as of Monday this week, 147 countries had registered to attend the international tourism indaba, starting on Saturday in Victoria Falls and Livingstone until Thursday. UNWTO executive director Zoltán Somogyi has confirmed.
The border towns of Victoria Falls and Livingstone will play hosts to the tourism jamboree. “Zambia and Zimbabwe are very lucky. This is the most visited UNWTO forum compared to those held in the past. We have more delegates registered. “It is an opportunity for the sister countries to promote their tourism and put the two destinations on the world map,” Somogyi, who arrived in Zambia on Monday, accompanied by his wife, said.
The UNWTO executive director commended the Zambia and Zimbabwe governments for their efforts in preparing to host the general assembly. He commended the two governments for the improvements made in infrastructure and hoped that Victoria Falls and Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airports would soon open to tourists visiting Livingstone and Victoria Falls. “I have experienced the change in the quality of roads in your wonderful destination and I’m hopeful that you will finish everything on time,” he said. Delegates from more than 65 countries have been accredited in Zimbabwe alone to grace the week-long event, but indications yesterday were that the hotels and lodges were more than 100% booked, meaning other delegates would need to be accommodated elsewhere.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke told Southern Eye Business that hotels and lodges in Victoria Falls had been overbooked and as such there was a challenge in accommodating some of the delegates.
“Hotels in Victoria Falls are overbooked and we are having a problem as to how we will accommodate some of the delegates attending the conference,” Kaseke said.
He was, however, quick to rule out a crisis, saying means would be found to accommodate all the guests. The UNWTO assembly co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia will kick off on Saturday until next week Thursday.
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Kaseke said in spite of the accommodation challenges, Victoria Falls was now ready to host the event. The ZTA boss said requisite infrastructure including Victoria Falls International Airport, the expansion and resurfacing of the 23km stretch of the road from the airport to the resort town had been completed.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi recently revealed that 65 countries accredited on the Zimbabwean side translated to an excess of 650 rooms while 15 countries were on the waiting list.
The government moved with speed to spruce up the resort town amid indications the crime rate in the town was very low compared to previous years, a development players in the tourism sector say will augur well for the successful hosting of the UNWTO assembly.
Among the issues to be discussed during the assembly are the election of the UNWTO secretary-general, budgetary programmes for member states and the election of new members to the UNWTO council.
The Tourism ministers’ round table meetings will also focus on improving air connectivity in Africa.
