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NewsDay

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‘Terror risk for tourists low in Zimbabwe’

Business
Zimbabwe is one of the top 10 unusual holiday destinations where the terror risk is low, a leading UK paper has said.

Zimbabwe is one of the top 10 unusual holiday destinations where the terror risk is low, a leading UK paper has said.

BY BUSINESS REPORTER

In its ranking of destinations, the Telegraph newspaper placed Zimbabwe fifth behind Mongolia, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Cambodia.

It said while the UK Foreign Office warns about mugging and pickpockets, the terror risk in Zimbabwe was low.

“All of us were conscious of the political difficulties in Zimbabwe, its history of violence and continuing human rights issues,” said television presenter Charlotte Hawkins who visited the country for Telegraph Travel last year.

“What convinced us was the glowing testimony of people who knew Zimbabwe well, in particular their stories about how hard the safari companies worked to protect natural habitats and support local communities.”

The ranking will come as a plus for the country’s efforts to woo tourists. The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry seeks to grow tourism receipts to $5 billion by 2020 aided by favourable government policies.

According to statistics from the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) Tourism Performance in 2014, tourism receipts were down 3% to $827 million in 2014 from the previous year despite an increase in arrivals, a reflection of a decline in expenditure. In 2013, the sector recorded receipts of $856 million.