National Parks Increases Entry, Lodge Charges
Source: The Herald (Harare)
Date: 17 January 2008
Author: Anon
The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has increased entry fees and accommodation rates for lodges in all the country's parks.
The entry fee for category one, made up of the Rainforest (Victoria Falls), Main Camp, Sinamathella and Robbins in Hwange National Park, has been pegged at $5 million per individual, up from $500 000.
The fee for category two, under which falls, among others, Mana Pools, Matetsi, Matusadonha and Matopos Park, has been increased from $400 000 to $4 million.
Visiting parks and recreational areas such as Osborne, Chivero, Vumba and Chinhoyi Caves, all in category three, now costs $3 million, up from $300 000.
The entry fee for category four, under which falls other small parks, has been increased from $200 000 to $2 million.
Entry fees for foreign tourists remain unchanged at US$20, US$15, US$10, and US$10 for categories one, two, three and four respectively.
Accommodation has also been increased to between $30 million to $120 million, depending on the lodge and park.
Three-bedroomed lodges range from $60 million to $100 million while two bedrooms now cost $30 million a night.
Due to the improved standards of lodges within the Zambezi National Park, which now meet international standards, they have been pegged at $120 million.
The National Incomes and Pricing Commission has approved the increases.
Parks Authority public relations manager Retired Major Edward Mbewe said the increases were necessitated by the prevailing economic environment and the need to maintain the standards at the parks.
He said despite the increases, the rates would remain affordable to promote domestic tourism.
"We review prices on a quarterly basis. We need to maintain our parks so that they meet international standards. The increases have also been necessitated by rising operational costs.
"Employees also need to be paid, apart from the need to procure material to maintain our properties within the parks so that tourists get value for their money," explained Rtd Maj Mbewe. In line with its programme to refurbish infrastructure in all the country's parks ahead of 2010 and beyond, the authority now awaits commissioning of its new and refurbished lodges in Zambezi and Gonarezhou, which is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
"Lodges in Zambezi and Gonarezhou are done although there are some few touches still needed on others.
"We are now waiting for their commissioning when everything else is completed," Rtd Major Mbewe said.
Meanwhile, the Parks authority has received $1 trillion from the Government to continue with the programme to spruce up the Zimbabwean side of the GLTP, which is Gonarezhou. Among the projects to be carried out are opening a road network that links the three administrative centres, Malipati, Mabhalauta and Chipinda Pools, in the park.
Rtd Major Mbewe said negotiations were also underway for the construction of a bridge that directly links Gonarezhou and Kruger National Park in South Africa. This would ease hassles tourists may encounter when using the Beitbridge route when crossing to the other side of the GLTP.
GLTP is made up of Gonarezhou, Kruger National Park and Mozambique's Limpopo National Park, forming Africa's largest wildlife sanctuary.