http://www.voanews.com/content...tourism/2538295.html



Zimbabwe, Zambia Promote Univisa to Increase Tourism


Sebastian Mhofu
November 28, 2014 12:37 PM

HARARE—
Zimbabwe and Zambia have introduced a single, shared visa to lure tourists to the mighty Victoria Falls that spans their border.

If the pilot project proves successful in six months, Angola, Botswana and Namibia are set to join the program, and other countries in the region may join later.

However, the plan could face resistance from countries such as South Africa.

Citizens of Canada, Japan, the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Australia, Sweden and Germany are among those from 40 countries who now need only one visa to enter both Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Increase tourism

The governments of these southern African countries hope to increase the flow of tourists to Victoria Falls, which can be viewed from either country's side of the Zambezi River.

Zimbabwe Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi said great things are coming for Africa.

“We are doing what other progressive parts of the world are doing. You enter one European country; you enter 27. We are saying this is the first little step toward the promulgation of a SADC univisa,” Mzembi said. “The reason why as Africa we continue to fall way back behind other continents in terms of market share is exactly because we have not opened our destinations.”

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe — as current chair of the Southern African Development Community — is pushing for a so-called "univisa" for the region and eventually the continent.

The idea has been discussed since 1998, but has gained new impetus thanks to financial support from the World Bank.

Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe Lars Ronnas said he is optimistic the project will succeed.

"Generally, it is very good when governments and countries facilitate for people to move across and between countries. … The more you facilitate for an open region, the better it is for that region,” Ronnas said.

Fearful of flood of refugees

Many African nations have maintained colonial-era visa requirements, with countries such as South Africa still requiring visas for citizens of most other African countries.

There are concerns in some countries that if the use of univisas spreads in Africa, it will open the door to a flood of refugees from war-torn countries to relatively peaceful and stable countries, such as South Africa.

But for Zimbabwe, those fears are secondary to hopes that the univisa will stimulate a slowly recovering tourism sector.

After a decade of negative publicity over its political situation, Zimbabwe aims to attract at least 2 million visitors a year from Asia by 2020.

Last year, the Zimbabwe tourism agency reported nearly 53,000 Asian tourists visited, with about 70 percent of them from Japan and China.

http://www.lusakatimes.com/201...-visa-pilot-project/


ZAMBIA and Zimbabwe officially launch uniform visa pilot project

Nov 29, 2014 6:15 am

ZAMBIA and Zimbabwe have officially launched the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) uniform visa (Univisa) pilot project to promote uninterrupted movement of tourists between the two countries.

Tourists will now save time and money because they only have to obtain one visa at a cost of US$ 50 to visit both countries for a period of 30 days.

The points of entry where the KAZA Univisa will be available are Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport, Victoria Falls International Airport, Harare International Airport as well as Kazungula and Victoria Falls borders.

KAZA TFCA is potentially the world’s largest conservation area, spanning five Southern African countries namely Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, centred on the Caprivi-Chobe-Victoria Falls area.

Zambia’s Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata, Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula, Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi and Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs Deputy Minister Ziyambi Zimbabwe officially launched the KAZA Univisa during a colorful ceremony at Victoria Falls Bridge yesterday.

Speaking during the long-awaited and historical launch of the event, Ms Kapata said she was glad that the project which was conceived in 1998 had currently become a reality.

She said the KAZA Univisa pilot project had numerous opportunities for the growth of tourism sector not only for Zambia and Zimbabwe but for the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

“Research has shown that countries whose visa regimes focus more on the needs of the tourists have experienced a marked growth in tourist arrivals,” Ms Kapata said.

And Dr Simbyakula reiterated the commitment of his Ministry through the Immigration Department in ensuring the successful implementation of the project.

He said tourism was key to accelerated growth and development because of its high potential for rapid employment growth and invariably, poverty reduction.

“We cannot let afford to let down our Heads of State and Government’s unwavering support to this project. For this pilot project, failure is not an option,” Dr Simbyakula said.

Dr Mzembi said the KAZA Univisa project, which would run up to May 2015, would be piloted in Zambia and Zimbabwe before being extended to three other countries in phase two which include Mozambique, Botswana and Angola.

He said the product was intended to provide seamless travel of tourists across international borders of the five KAZA partner countries of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana and Namibia.

“You may recall that in 2013 their excellences Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and the late Zambian President Michael Sata committed themselves to sustainable tourism development.

The two Presidents clearly identified tourism as the peace-bridge in the people to people diplomacy that should be kept standing even when the nations are in a state of fall out,” he said.

And Mr Ziyambi said the launch was a landmark achievement for the tourism family and a victory for the travelling public as it was step towards opening up the borders of the SADC region.