By Edwin Tambara For wild animals in Africa on the verge of extinction and the tight knit communities who protect them, COVID-19 is a specter, disrupting a delicate balancing act of survival for both humans and endangered species. African officials and conservation experts from Kenya, Uganda and Gabon briefed members of Congress on May 12…
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International (www.Marriott.com), on 6 January 2021 announced the highly-anticipated opening of The St. Regis Cairo. Rising tall on the banks of the River Nile, The St. Regis Cairo is an illustrious icon weaving a powerful story of luxury in the region. Located at the North end of…
Ensuring accessibility for tourists with specific access requirements can be a ‘game changer’ for destinations around the world as they look to bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic. A new set of Inclusive Recovery Guides from the World Tourism Organization, produced in partnership with the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the ONCE Foundation…
International arrivals fell by 72% over the first ten months of 2020, with restrictions on travel, low consumer confidence, and a global struggle to contain the COVID-19 virus, all contributing to the worst year on record in the history of tourism. According to the latest tourism data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), destinations welcomed 900 million…
December is usually one of the busiest periods for Zimbabwe’s tourism hub of Victoria Falls, with typical hotel occupancies of around 90%. This year, following the downturn in tourism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism community has been hard hit. Businesses, livelihoods, and local communities have all been impacted. In an extraordinary…
By Jason Baker Should the president of South Africa be trading in protected species and pocketing huge sums of money from their deaths? PETA (www.PETA.org) released an undercover investigation (https://bit.ly/3oBOk6q) exposing Cyril Ramaphosa’s carefully concealed – but extensive – trophy hunting interests. At his Phala Phala game-breeding operation, Ramaphosa breeds and sells animals to be gunned down…
Fastjet does it again! For the fifth consecutive year, Fastjet has been awarded by the World Travel Awards the title of “Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline – 2020”. The organisers announced the win at the 27th World Travel Awards – Africa Winners Day online event hosted on Monday, 09 November 2020. The World Travel Awards, established…
Restrictions on travel introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to hit global tourism hard, with the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) showing a 70% fall in international arrivals for the first eight months of 2020. According to the newest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international arrivals plunged 81% in July and 79% in August,…
The Government of Zimbabwe and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, yesterday launched an initiative to boost tourism in and around Victoria Falls to help strengthen Zimbabwe’s tourism industry, which has suffered a sharp decline in visitors because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative, the ‘Victoria Falls Area Tourism…
The year 2020 edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo is being held virtually in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has prevented the gathering of many people in a face-to-face interface, Hon Mangaliso Ndlovu, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has said. He alluded to this fact while officially opening the…
Mutorashanga Green Pools are a beauty, a marvel, and incredible spot to hang out for travel enthusiasts. Approximately an hour and half drive from Harare, this joint is becoming the place where people visit to have fun, and enjoy the outdoors. The place is a great site for swimming, and diving, offering a thrilling experience,…
The Global Landscapes Forum Biodiversity Conference will be held under the theme, ‘One World—One Health’ and will run on 28 and 29 October 2020 from 9 a.m. Bonn (UTC/GMT+1). WHAT: Halting biodiversity loss is essential to tackle the climate, food and global health crises, but how to turn ambitious green recovery pledges into concrete solutions that are feasible…
By Anyway Yotamu. The government has procured equipment to increase the national capacity for illegal wildlife trade control, integrated wildlife, anti-poaching, and woodland management of the Protected Area network under the Zambezi Valley Biodiversity Project. The government has procured various equipment for the project worth USD$12 million from the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and the…
President Emmerson Mnagangwa has officially launched a promotional campaign spearheaded by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) aimed at boosting the country’s tourism. ZC is working on the project in partnership with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. The initiative, unveiled on Tuesday evening at a colourful event held at the State House in Harare, is expected to leverage on…
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is to work with California-based Eightfold.ai to help connect tourism jobseekers with employers and so drive the global recovery of the sector. The new partnership will see UNWTO harness the power of the Eightfold Talent Exchange, a marketplace connecting workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with available jobs. Using advanced deep-learning AI, the Exchange matches…
Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu on Monday urged Zimbabweans at home and abroad to take up investment opportunities in rural service centres and position themselves for imminent growth and development. Speaking at the occasion of the World Tourism Day Celebrations 2020 at Chinhoyi University of Technology, Ndhlovu said Government has begun…
Tourism and environment players on Monday marked World Tourism Day Celebrations by handing over the Kore Kore Cultural Village, to the Makonde community. The Kore Kore Cultural Village was funded by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority as part of the Ministry’s 100 Day projects. The development was in line with this year’s theme of ‘Tourism and…
As Zimbabwe relaxed the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and opened up flights and other tourism services, Fastjet has resumed its domestic flights in Zimbabwe. This reporter witnessed a remarkable improvement in security at the Robert Mugabe and the Joshua Nkomo International Airports in as far as COVID-19 preventive measures are concerned. Mr. Felix Nyangani, the Head…
By Anyway Yotamu International tourist arrivals plunged 93% in June when compared to 2019 owing to the severe impact of coronavirus to the tourism sector, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said. The latest data from UNWTO’s World Tourism Barometer shows that international tourist arrivals dropped by 65% in the first half of…
By Heidi Jones Now, many countries are beginning to lift nation-wide lockdowns imposed due to coronavirus. But their economies are in a crippled state. Many people have lost their jobs, and almost everyone is in an altruist mode. We have not had holiday trips, watched a theatre show, or witnessed a sporting event for the…
By Anyway Yotamu COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on Africa’s growing travel and tourism sectors. From the time the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in China in December 2019, the consequences have cut across all the economic sectors globally. One of the worst affected sectors was tourism, which was grounded globally amid fears…
This September Zimbabwe joins the family of nations across the world in celebrating tourism. The World Tourism Day set for 27 September every year was founded by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with an aim of fostering awareness among the international community, of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and…
By Anyway Yotamu With the government announcing the reopening of the tourism sector across the country after five months of closure following the health and safety guidelines approved by the Cabinet, players in the industry are feeling the pinch of economic hardships. Mangaliso Ndlovu, the Minister of Tourism said the government will focus strongly on…
The government has announced that mining on areas held by National Parks is banned with immediate effect as steps are being undertaken to immediately cancel all mining title held in National Parks. This comes as a relief amidst reports that two mining companies namely Zhongxin Coal Mining Group and Afrochine Smelting allegedly received permission from the…
By Nimrod Ushe A fascinating Stone Age habitat has been reported to the Spiked Online Media by one of the denizens in Bikita District. It is situated approximately three kilometres south-west of Mandadzaka Shopping Centre in Munatsi Village and adjacent to Musaizi river. Speaking to Spiked Online Media, Allan Muridzo said that “There is a…
By Habakkuk Trust National Parks officials gunned down three buffalos in Bulilima District yesterday in a bid to drive them away from human settlements. Buffalos herd reportedly numbering over a 100, invaded Makhulela, Huwana, and Khame areas and have been roaming close to human settlements for the past three days. Parks officials in the company of a…
By Anyway Yotamu The government has announced the reopening of the tourism sector across the country after five months of closure following the health and safety guidelines conducted. The decision was approved by Cabinet. Addressing journalists on Thursday 3 September 2020 in Harare, Minister of Environment Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mangaliso Ndlovu said, “We meet…
By Gideon Madzikatidze The Chimanimani Tourism Association (CTA) and Birdlife Zimbabwe are warning people to desist from taking advantage of lockdown regulations to indiscriminately plunder resources in the Chimanimani area of Manicaland. The two organisations cited the Chimanimani mountainous area where rampant illegal alluvial gold mining is allegedly taking place during the locakdown to the…
Africa’s magnificent wildlife is the focus of a pop-up channel now running 24/7 for three months on DStv. The new channel is WildEarth, which has to date been broadcasting on YouTube, FaceBook and other content viewing platforms. WildEarth is available on Premium and Compact Plus packages on DStv channel 183. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said:…
A team of British Amateur cyclists has started the Global 30,000KM Bike ride with Land’s End to John O’Groates Adventure to protect African Rangers and Wildlife. 50+ African Travel professionals doing a joint bike ride Land’s End to John O’Groats Thousands of people around the globe doing their own ‘virtual’ bike ride for Rangers 874…
By Thomas Quarry Meta Title: Africa’s Safest Locations in 2020 Meta Description: Africa offers you ample opportunity to enjoy everything this continent has to offer, from food to pristine beaches and roaming wildlife. Find out which countries have the lowest crime rates and are considered safe for tourists. African countries are like a limitless treasure…
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General, World Tourism Organization This goes hand-in-hand with a responsibility to preserve the spirit of international solidarity that has characterized our response to this shared crisis, a response that has included international institutions, the civil society at large and individual citizens. Again and again, the pandemic puts us to the test and…
Climate change impacts on the tourism sector and vice-versa hence the need for sustainable management of the natural phenomenon as well so as to create opportunities for the sector, Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has said. The Minister of Environment, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu speaking at the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Indaba in Victoria…
By Anyway Yotamu in Victoria Falls President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday launched the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy and reopened the Victoria Falls rainforest after 109 days of closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking in Victoria Falls yesterday President Mnangagwa said, “The tourism growth strategy is anchored on vision 2030 and tourism sector…
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has commended the Ministries of Health and Child Care; Local Government; Finance and Economic Development; Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry; the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe as well as Government at large for their efforts and commitment towards the recovery of the Tourism Industry. The authority reminded operators in…
By Veritas Late on Friday the 3rd July the Minister of Health and Child Care gazetted an SI which allows restaurants, National Parks facilities and safari operators to resume restricted operations. The SI is the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (Amendment) Order, 2020 (No. 13) (SI 160 of 2020). It is…
By Nimrod Ushe The Chibvumani National Monument is one of the dry-stone fortresses of the Munhumutapa Empire. It is believed that the Shona speaking people inhabited this place between 12th – 15th soon after the demise of Great Zimbabwe (Caton-Tompson 1931). According to heritage practitioners,this site was engineered using biotite granite blocks quarried from the…
By Anyway Yotamu African Sun Hotels and Resorts has announced the reopening of its Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga the Eastern Highlands after three months’ closure. The Group Marketing, Public Relations, and Innovation Manager, Ms. Karen Dhliwayo said in a statement to the media Tuesday, from the 1st July 2020 Troutbeck Resort in Nyang reopens after…
he Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and the tourism industry in partnership with the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) will host a Service Excellence Training Webinar on Wednesday. The ZTA Acting Chief Executive, Givemore Chidzidzi said the sector remains optimistic that it will bounce back post-COVID-19 through investing in human capital and service excellence as part…
Zimbabwe’s Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Permanent Secretary Munesu Munodawafa says the sector remains optimistic that it will bounce back post-COVID-19 through investing in human capital and service excellence as part of the recovery strategy. In an interview with Ultimate Tourism Chat podcast host Godfrey ‘Chief’ Koti, Munodawafa laid out the three-phased recovery plan…
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s Acting Chief Executive Mr Givemore Chidzidzi has outlined strategic issues essential in post-Covid-19 tourism recovery drive. Presenting the Destination Zimbabwe Tourism Recovery draft Plan themed: “Supporting jobs, serving the national economy” at a workshop in Harare this week, Mr Chidzidzi said the plan outlines measures to be undertaken by Government, the tourism…
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Introduction The tourism sector is one of the most affected industries by the COVID-19 pandemic which is an unprecedented global health and socioeconomic crisis. Globally, this sector is accredited for its immense contribution to GDP, job creation, infrastructure development and wildlife conservation efforts. In the first quarter of 2020, the…
… As domestic tourism takes centre stage Zimbabwe’s tourism sector yesterday met in Harare to craft a post-COVID-19 tourism recovery strategy. The discussion hinged on prioritizing the domestic market and product diversification. Addressing the meeting, Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndholvu emphasized the need to have a three-phased approach that starts…
The government will provide Bank Guarantee Facility worth ZWL$500 million to assist the Tourism Sector to access working capital loans from banks, Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has said. Unveiling a stimulus package today to boost the tourism sector in post COVID-19 lockdown, Minister Ndhlovu announced a raft of measures…
By Tatenda Mabara (Researcher) The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all sectors of the global economic ecosystem and the tourism and hospitality sector will experience the most severe impact. This is mainly because tourism is increasingly hypermobile and largely based on interaction among people. Based on the latest COVID19 induced developments such as quarantine measures, travel…
