Tourist arrivals in Victoria Falls were up 21,6% in the first half of the year to 119 758 spurred by the growth in international arrivals, a new report has shown.
BY BUSINESS REPORTER
In the same period last year, arrivals to the resort town stood at 98 504.
According to the report, A Tourism Survey of the Victoria Falls Region, the growth in international arrivals offset a drop in domestic arrivals that was experienced in the first half of the year.
“International tourist arrivals to Victoria Falls rose 17% in 2016 and have gained an additional 32% on that in the first six months of 2017,” it said.
Arrivals from locals dropped to 21 744 in the first half of the year, down from 27 015 registered in the comparable period last year.
The report said regional tourist arrivals to the resort town dipped in 2016 ,“but are recovering well in 2017 with easier and increased air access”.
It said the area was failing to tap into the large number of tourist flows from the UK into South Africa.
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“This will change greatly once direct access is available to the area from the UK. Similarly, large markets in Europe await direct access particularly from Germany, France and the Netherlands,” the report read.
The report covered Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Livingstone (Zambia), Chobe/Kasane (Botswana) and Hwange (Zimbabwe). It was sponsored and conducted as an industry service by Africa Albida.
