Published: 20 January 2014

REVENUE from safari business is set to reach $65 million this year up from $55 million realised last year, further boosting anticipated growth in the tourism sector.

Zimbabwe is one of the most preferred destinations for safari business, both hunting and photographic, and the ventures form part of activities that have seen tourism contributing about 10 percent to the Gross Domestic Product.

Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe president Mr Emmanuel Fundira said once the Government moved in to bring finality to the Save Conservancy impasse, the country would see a marked improvement in revenue from the sector.

"Assuming the Save Conservancy saga is resolved we expect revenues to increase by another $10m to $65m in 2014 and if this does not happen projections will be flat to a modest increase of two percent," he said.

The Government is trying to resolve an impasse between private investors and some indigenous people who are wrangling over the conservancy, regarded as one of the richest and largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world.

Locals want a chunk of the vast areas as part of the indigenisation programme while private investors argue that this would disturb the wildlife in the sanctuary.

The impasse, added Mr Fundira, contributed to the revenue target miss last year.

"Safari business achieved a turnover of $55m and missed target of $60m due to the impasse on Save Conservancy which has taken over two years to resolve in terms of regularising ownership in compliance with existing Indigenisation Laws."

Apart from the impasse in the Save Conservancy, safari business was facing a number of challenges, said Mr Fundira.

Poaching, he added, was one of the biggest challenges and had resulted in reduced trophy quality and source markets taking a reduced interest in Zimbabwe.

Last year, more than 300 elephants in and around the Hwange National Park died in suspected cases of poaching after their water was laced with poison.

Conservationists said the poisoning also affected other animals. Lions, hyenas and vultures that fed on the elephant carcasses died while other animals such as kudu and buffalo that shared the same waterholes that were laced with poison also died.

Although Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Mrs Caroline Washayamoyo could not readily provide figures of animals poached and potential revenue lost last year, Sunday Business learnt that the country lost at least $15 million alone from the killing of the 300 elephants last year.

According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Statutory Instrument 57 of 2012 CAP 20:21 gazetted in April last year, an elephant has a replacement value of $50 000.

Figures from the same organisation also show that between 2009 and 2012 at least 300 buffalo, 42 rhinos and 21 lions were killed by poaching syndicates across the country.

Mr Fundira said due to lack of resources, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority had also reverted to desperate ways of raising money by allowing commercial hunting to take place in national parks.

"This practice for short term gain should stop as it has the potential of destroying the integrity of the industry."

Another challenge had been the late notification of increases on fees which were advised very late and did not go down well in the market place resulting in cancellation of bookings.

"We, therefore, encourage the observation of a consultative process in line with best practice."

Although safari business has the potential to boost revenue inflows in the country, the Government has also raised concern over pilferage in the tourism sector generally.

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa in his budget said although there was an increase in tourism activities, safari business included, revenue receipts were not encouraging raising fears that some of the activities were not documented.

Some of the companies in the sector have been accused of under-declaring receipts.

"The tourism revenue receipts, however, do not seem to tally with the recorded increase in tourist arrivals. There is, therefore, an urgent need for Zimbabwe to embrace the Tourism Satellite Account module - a statistical package designed to accurately measure the sector's contribution to the country's GDP," said Cde Chinamasa.
- sundanews

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