Zim-Zam univisa suspended for now

Source: Tourism Update, 07/01/2016

The pilot project of the KAZA univisa expired at the end of December.

The KAZA univisa, which allows visitors from 40 countries to travel
between Zimbabwe and Zambia using the same document, has been
suspended "for the time being" in both countries. This is according to
local tour operators.


Mariska Yntema, Product Developer for Jenman Safaris, says the pilot
project of the KAZA univisa expired at the end of December.


"Discussions are currently under way between the various parties,
including the World Bank, which acted as sponsor, to consider the
successes as well as loopholes of the project. They are assessing
whether to go ahead as is or to extend the reach of the project to
other SADC countries as well."


According to Yntema, the Zambian Department of Immigration is
expecting further news by the end of January. "A public relations
official from the Zambian Department of Immigration mentioned that the
project would most probably go ahead – the exact implementation is
just not confirmed."


"I really do hope that it will be reintroduced, because the feedback
from our clients in the last year was positive," says Monika Korn from
The Safari Source. She says since the introduction of the univisa,
clients had more options. "It was not such a big deal any more if they
flew in and out from different airports – Livingstone or Vic Falls, or
even Kasane – and I felt that they were more interested to do Chobe
day trips (Botswana) or a microlight flight (Zambia) when they were
staying on the Zim side in Vic Falls."


Katja Quasdorf, Product and Marketing Director for Jenman Safaris,
says although guests don`t often travel to Zambia and Zimbabwe at the
same time, the challenge comes when flights to Victoria Falls are too
full.

"Then, guests have to fly to Zambia to get to VFA," she
says, adding that paying for a visa twice then becomes a problem.
Quasdorf is optimistic, however, that with the new airport, more
airlines will fly into VFA, ensuring that there will be enough seats
for the season.


The tourism boards of both Zimbabwe and Zambia hadn`t responded to
questions from Tourism Update at the time of publication.