Will election violence derail Zimbabwe's tourism recovery?

Who would have predicted the extraordinary scenes that took place in Harare following last November’s bloodless military coup? Overnight, after 37 years of misrule, Zimbabweans were dancing in the streets and President Robert Mugabe was toast.

His successor Emmerson Mnangagwa vowed to lead the country back into the light, promising an end to the bad old days that had crippled its once proud tourist industry. Now the violence surrounding the latest elections has put Zimbabwe’s future on hold and visitors will again be asking if this is the right time to go there.

Back in the Nineties, Zimbabwe’s reputation for outstanding game viewing and unsurpassed guiding was attracting around 1.5 million guests every year. But that was before tourists chose to go elsewhere rather than be seen supporting Mugabe’s increasingly chaotic regime.

“We first featured Zimbabwe in 1996 and then watched in despair as tourists simply voted with their feet, says Chris McIntyre, managing director of specialist tour operator Expert Africa. “But ever since the worthless Zim dollar was replaced by the universally accepted US dollar in 2009 there has been a steady return.”

Last year, Expert Africa’s bookings increased by more than 60 per cent with no sign of it abating. “It’s all because Mugabe has gone, says McIntyre. “Our clients see this as a new era for Zimbabwe and are no longer concerned about going.”

This year I, too, returned to Zimbabwe for the first time since 1994, first to Lake Kariba and Victoria Falls in May, and then again to Mana Pools National Park less than three weeks ago. I had expected to find a country on its knees. Instead I was amazed at how relaxed it seemed and how smoothly its tourist infrastructure was running.

The main gateways, Harare and Victoria Falls’ airports are squeaky clean and blissfully hassle-free and it’s worth pointing out that Harare’s airport is 13km from the city centre, so visitors are highly unlikely to encounter any post-election troubles. From there, internal flights whisk you off directly into the bush, to world-famous Hwange National Park or Mana Pools, acclaimed as Africa’s most beautiful wildlife stronghold, where you will be a great deal safer than you would be in London.

Cruising around Lake Kariba I passed scores of houseboats peacefully pottering around the dreamy shores of Matusadona National Park. In Victoria Falls, where the famous Victoria Falls Safari Club has been given a no-expense-spared makeover, a true holiday atmosphere prevailed as I joined the crowds on the paths overlooking the mile-wide cascades of Musi-oa-Tunya - the Smoke that Thunders.

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Nowhere did I encounter any trace of hostility. To the contrary, every Zimbabwean I met seemed genuinely pleased to see visitors from the UK, confirming their reputation for being among the most warmly welcoming people on Earth.

Weighing up the ethical perspective of the Harare power struggle is more subjective. As Mugabe’s right-hand man, Mnangagwa is still regarded with suspicion as part of the old regime and tainted by the extreme violence surrounding the 2008 elections, while the opposition remains an unknown quantity.

But speaking simply as a conservationist I hope to see visitors continuing to return to Zimbabwe because without tourist dollars its precious parks and game reserves will ultimately collapse. And that would not only be bad for the wildlife but also for the thousands of Zimbabweans employed in the country’s tourist trade.