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Zambia has dropped visa requirements for listed countries as it markets the Mighty Victoria Falls that it shares with its neighbour Zimbabwe.
The Zambia Tourism Agency revealed that effective from 1 October 2022, citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, China, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Gulf States, and the European Union – major markets for its tourism, will no longer be required to have a visa to visit their country.
The pricing of tourism products and visa requirements play a critical role in determining the number of tourists in a specific country and it is anticipated that the move by Zambia will go a long way in attracting foreign visitors, a majority of whom visit the mighty Victoria Falls – 0ne of the seven wonders of the world.
In February this year, confidence in booking Destination Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe rose to 74% in 2021, according to the annual Future Traveller Sentiment Survey conducted by We Are Victoria Falls for 2021. This figure compares to 85% during the pre-pandemic year of 2019, and the Covid-19 slump of just 50% in 2020.
It was revealed that 73% of respondents to the survey believe it is now safe to travel to Victoria Falls and that clear robust rules on entry, pricing awareness, the flexibility of terms and conditions, and ease of access (including direct flights) are key priority areas to accelerate recovery of tourism to the destination.
The report provides an annual snapshot of data to support the sector in planning for the future. According to international agents who responded to the survey, the future traveller to Victoria Falls will be motivated by nature and travel in smaller groups.
Travellers will be mainly older couples, multi-gen families, and families with older children. Compared to the previous survey agents predict a growing preference for boutique hotels over safari camps and a move away from branded properties. The most marked developments from the previous year are an expected uptick in demand for wellness and gastronomy experiences.
