Staying in a resort town of Victoria Falls has made me question a lot of things about domestic tourism in my country. Was just looking around and interacting with local people wondering if they have ever enjoyed the wonderful activities offered in the resort town. My discovering was that majority have never even went to see the mighty falls.
There are so many activities that the tourism operators offer here in Vic Falls like bungee jumping, helicopter flight, rafting, boat cruise and game driver to mention but a few. But if you just ask around you will discover that majority of people who stay here have never even gone for anyone of those activities.
There few people who come to the resort town for leisure from other places in the country especially from Harare. Tourism operators have stated that Domestic tourists contribute about 5-10% of tourists guest visiting the resort town with the rest 90% being foreigners.
I did my research and discovered that the economic situation in the country is one key reason why the percentage of domestic tourists is low. People in Zimbabwe struggle to earn a decent living for their families. Cry for salary increment has been a song for almost every working Zimbabwean for a long time now especially civil servants.
Now with the little salary they earn, non of them can ever consider spending it on ‘leisure’ by taking their families and loved ones for holiday to resort towns but rather use it for basic needs. I remember one time my friend asked me how much it was to go for boat cruise and when l said $50 she was like, “Ah that money is enough for my monthly grocery, l rather stay without ever going for boat cruise” this is actually mentality of majority Zimbabweans including me.
However, its not like everyone can not afford these activities and taking their family and loved ones for holiday at resort towns. There are some who actually find time especially during festive season who do go come from different parts of the country and visit Victoria Falls. For instance with this just ended carnival, they were many people from all over the country but still majority were foreigner.
When Zimbabweans visit the resort town and spend days here, just check where they stay, they book at cheap lodges not fancy hotels. Look at them when they are going out for meals, they go to cheap cafes and not fancy restaurants.
When they decide to go for activities, they don’t partake on high risky activities like bungee jumping and rafting.They rather go for sunset cruise, tour of the south, game drive and crocodile farm tour, with a few going for helicopter flights.
I don’t know what’s with this Zimbabwean mentality but people tend to fear certain activities especially those that take place were there are high volumes of water. They think its too much of a risk and rather not partake in it when they are actually missing the fun that foreign tourists come all the way from far away countries to enjoy.
The other reason l have realized is that Zimbabweans are fans of free staff, they are too stingy to pay for things. I have heard a number of times people asking why they should pay to visit the falls, they believe its our country so we should just go for free. Come on, if it was to be for free then everyone will be going in and out of there on daily bases uncontrolled, just imagine how the place will be. Plus that place need maintenance where is the money going to come from if you don’t want to pay?
Personally l think every individual deserves to enjoy the wonders that our country has to offer, its our country and we are blessed to be having all these things close to us when foreigner have to travel a million miles just to see these wonders. So why not sacrifice just a little once in a while and take your families, friends and loved ones for holiday in resort towns like Victoria Falls and Kariba. Good thing is that tourism operators actually support group travelling as they have packages with discounts for people who do activities as a group.
Come on Zimbabwean, lets enjoy what God has blessed us with and not hear foreigners talking about the wonderful things in our country which we have never experienced ourselves.
