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Isdore Guvamombe
Saturday Lounge Reflections
We are world number one! Yes, we are the best place to visit and we have always been, all things being equal, fair and just.

Zimbabwe has been named the safest place to visit in the world when countries re-open their borders to international travel in the post-Covid-19 lockdown era.

Highly rated United States-based travel and tourism agency, Tourlane, worked with a former US Department of Defence and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (nato) security expert with years of experience on risk assessment, Mr Johann Jones, to monitor the world and named Zimbabwe the as the safest.

Suffice to say tourism wholesalers in source markets in Europe and beyond regard Tourlane as a highly reliable index for travellers and many tourists the world over, rely on it for holiday planning.

While the United States  has maintained a hardliner stance against Zimbabwe, imposing illegal sanctions on the country, Tourlane has ranked Zimbabwe number one among top 15 destinations which include Thailand, Fiji, Zambia, Seychelles, Japan, Cambodia among others.

You see, the point is that Zimbabwe is a tourism tapestry too difficult to ignore; the peace and tranquillity, the good people, pristine wildlife, excellent climate, the Great Zimbabwe National Monuments, the craggy Eastern Highlands, the mighty Victoria Falls and a multifarious array of other tourist attractions man-made or sired by natural phenomenon; all speak to a total package, a country too good to ignore.

In fact, Zimbabwe has always been the safest country, given its climate, its peace and all offerings, despite spirited attempts by its detractors to paint it as a pariah State.

But God, being a God of love and fairness, always make, people see the truth and even travel bans and restrictions have seen some people, especially American citizens, come behind the scenes to visit Zimbabwe in defiance of their government’s travel ban.

Last week, Zimbabwe scored 35,48 out of a possible 50 points and Thailand came second with 35,33 points in the travel destination index.

Covid-19 has negatively impacted the world tourism sector with the industry losing billions in revenue after countries imposed travel restrictions to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

Most countries have started to remove the travel restrictions as they adopt a new normal.

Zimbabwe opened the airspace earlier this month for international travellers, but is yet to open other borders.

“In collaboration with our head of safety, Johann Jones, Tourlane has produced a guide to the safest places to travel once bans are lifted. By looking at key indicators such as Covid-19 cases, health regulations, population density, hours of sunlight, and flight connections to the USA, we produced a guide to help travellers assess risk factors of both countries that are currently open and countries that may open soon.”

The positive ranking for Zimbabwe coincides with the country’s anti-sanctions drive at a time some citizens are on an offensive to demonise the country.

As of yesterday, Zimbabwe had 240 active Covid-19 cases and Government’s lockdown measures have been credited for containing the virus.

Zimbabwe prides itself under its banner, a world of Wonders, boasts of a multifarious array of natural and man-made tourist destinations such as the Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Matopo Hills, Great Zimbabwe among numerous other attractions.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) spokesperson Mr Godfrey Koti said the endorsement by the Americans is what the country required in light of the Tourism Recovery Strategy.

“This is a further attestation that things have really changed in the Second Republic and under the able leadership of our Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Nqobizitha Ndlovu, we have managed to create the right kind of noise in the international sphere. More so, in America who are our highest contributors into arrivals for the past 15 or so years.

“They have come to the country religiously as a resource market. Despite whatever other issues might be happening in the political spheres, they have recognised Zimbabwe as a destination that is safe, they have recognised Zimbabwe as a destination that they want to visit, a destination that they want to encourage their people to visit.

“We are very much elated,” said Mr Koti.

He added: “We would like to thank the Government of Zimbabwe and in particular His Excellency ED Mnangagwa on the amazing way the county handled the Covid-19 pandemic. We are very grateful for their leadership in this difficult time that has crumbled the tourism sector. What is exciting about this kind of endorsement is that it fuels the international market into having more interest in Destination Zimbabwe. It also provides a platform for us to send a message about how beautiful Zimbabwe is as a destination,” he said.

Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo said it was not surprising that international travel agencies have endorsed Zimbabwe.

Last week, President Mnangagwa launched the Visit Zimbabwe Promotion Campaign, encouraging citizens and foreigners to visit some of the country’s tourist destinations.

“This is a confidence booster for the country. Remember the President launched the Tourism Recovery Strategy in Victoria Falls in September. This shows the commitment that the leadership has in terms of achieving the US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025.

“The fundamentals are there and what attracts people is there. We are not just saying foreigners should visit Zimbabwe, but we are saying locals should tour Zimbabwe like what the President said.”

At the end, a good place is a good place. People will always find out that the place is good despite a crass from detractors. Our time has come as a tourist destination to shine. We are indeed number one.