eBusiness Weekly
Leroy Dzenga
Leisure travel in Zimbabwe has long been interpreted as an elite concept.
Many who may be keen to visit resorts dotted across the country are deterred by the assumed costs.
These usually include transport, accommodation and access fees to the breathtaking sights which have made Zimbabwean tourism a global marvel.
Aware of the challenges facing prospective travellers, enterprising organisations are venturing into tourism with sights on reducing travel stresses.
One such organisation is Pamushana Africa, a transport service provider.
Recently they took a contingent of 80 local tourists to Nyanga in their commuter omnibuses (kombis) for a day visit to the resort town.
During the trip the group visited Nyanga Mountain View, Mutarazi Falls and Rhodes Museum at a cost of $30.
Had each of the travellers decided to individually facilitate their own visits, they would have paid not less than $78 in fuel costs for a round trip.
Members of the travelling party shared their opinions on the one-day sojourn.
“When we heard of the trip we did not believe it, it sounded too good to be true. No one would have afforded to drive around Nyanga for just $30,” Nqobani Nyoni said.
Besides the reduced cost, there is also a sense of community, which group travels bring and many enjoyed getting opportunities to interface with diverse individuals.
Lovejoy Baureni said: “Although we were many, it did not take long for people to interact. The journey presented opportunities to build networks and gain contacts, which could be helpful.
“Tourism should be about meeting new people as well as getting fresh perspectives. This is what we got from our trip to Nyanga.”
Charity Munyikwa, who was also part of the group said the prices were attractive for her and others to enlist for the travel.
“I signed up for the trip because I saw it as an opportunity to explore my country. Most of the time as locals we do not go on holidays because we are wary of the expenses,”Munyikwa said.
However, the common sentiment was that some of the activities in Nyanga were a bit steep for many who travelled.
The Mutarazi Falls Skywalk was $40 for adults and the Zipline walk was $60.
Despite being among the most popular activities in Nyanga, very few paid the fee and opted for less punitive engagements.
Pamushana Africa’s chief executive officer Hardlife Chipika said their goal is to try and provide safe travels to the country’s destinations.
“What we are doing is ensuring that everyone has a chance to see how beautiful Zimbabwe is, and they do not even have to spend a fortune on it,” Chipika said.
Their current model is that beyond the transport and refreshments, passengers bear extra costs.
Chipika says they are working on consolidating the payments to accommodate more activities.
“We are working on collaborating with service providers to increase convenience for our clients,” he said.
“Our hope is that going forward, the authorities will fix roads to make accessing these places easier,” added Chipika.
A follow-up trip to Masvingo is already on the cards as the drive to push domestic tourism remains in full force.
With tourism being among the best performing sectors in the country, there were concerns that locals are being left out in conversations relating to it.
Creative interventions, like the one applied by Pamushana Africa may just be one way to improve local interest in domestic tourism.
If service providers come to the fore and lower their rates for Zimbabwean visitors, there may be a surge in domestic tourism now that solutions to transport headaches are emerging.
