By BRIAN HATYOKA –

FOR many years now, countries in Southern Africa have been applying separate visa regimes which have acted as a deterrent for international tourists wishing to visit more than one country in the region.
This scenario has disadvantaged a modern tourist who wants to visit more than one destination or more than one country to explore various tourism products.
In 1998, Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government adopted a protocol on tourism which called for the establishment of uniform visa (Univisa) to encourage multi-traveling in the region.
The SADC Univisa, which is supposed to transform the region into a tourism destination of choice offering unique products and attractions, has not yet been attained to-date since 16 years ago when the idea was conceived.
However, not all is lost as individual SADC member countries are now making efforts towards the attainment of the Univisa.

•FROM LEFT: Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula, Zambia’s Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata, Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs Deputy Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi (right) exchange the Memorandum of Understanding document at Victoria Falls Bridge.

Recently, Zambia and Zimbabwe launched the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Univisa pilot project to promote uninterrupted movement of tourists between the two countries.
Zambia’s Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata, Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula, Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi and Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs Deputy Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi officially launched the KAZA Univisa pilot project on December 28, 2014 during a colorful ceremony held at the Victoria Falls Bridge.
During the launch of the project, which also covers travellers who visit Botswana for day-trips through the Kazungula Border, Ministers signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on for the two countries.
KAZA TFCA is potentially the world’s largest conservation area, spanning five Southern African countries namely Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, centred on the Caprivi-Chobe-Victoria Falls area.
Its goal is to sustainably manage the Kavango Zambezi ecosystem, its heritage and cultural resources based on best conservation and tourism models for the socio-economic wellbeing of the communities and other stakeholders in and around the eco-region through harmonisation of policies, strategies and practices.
Under the KAZA Univisa pilot project for Zambia and Zimbabwe, tourists from 40 eligible countries will now save time and money because they only have to obtain one visa at a cost of US$50 to visit both countries for a period of 30 days.
The points of entry where the KAZA Univisa is currently available are Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport, Victoria Falls International Airport, Harare International Airport as well as Kazungula and Victoria Falls land borders.
Eligible countries are Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, United Kingdom, Brunei, Burundi, Canada, Cook Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands and New Zealand.
Other countries are Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Rwanda, Slovakia Republic, Slovenian Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uruguay and United States of America (USA).
In phase two of the project, it is anticipated that the KAZA Univisa will be extended to include other three countries namely Angola as well as Botswana and Namibia.
Phase three will involve Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland while all the remaining SADC countries are expected to participate in phase of the project.
KAZA Executive Director Morris Mtsambiwa said the Univisa pilot project between Zambia and Zimbabwe was expected to facilitate and promote the movement of international visitors into the region.
According to Dr Mtsambiwa, the project would also provide seamless travel of tourists across five KAZA countries.
“The KAZA Univisa pilot project for Zambia and Zimbabwe will stimulate regional integration and benefit local communities and small businesses between the two countries.
“It will also encourage local investment in infrastructure as well as encourage integrated marketing and development of tourism. Further, the project will open up opportunities for development and business partnerships between tourism fraternity and the Police, the Immigration Departments, local communities and other stakeholders,” Dr Mtsambiwa said.
He noted that the region would become a competitive tourism destination as there would be reduced costs to encourage tourists to stay longer in the two destinations.
“The project will also enrich the tourism experience and provide economic benefits to the SADC region.
“One of the main pillars of KAZA TFCA is to promote local livelihoods through the promotion of tourism,” Dr Mtsambiwa said.
Speaking during the launch of the project, Ms Kapata said the KAZA Univisa pilot project had numerous opportunities for the growth of tourism sector not only for Zambia and Zimbabwe but for the entire SADC region.
According to Ms Kapata, research had shown that countries whose visa regimes focused more on the needs of the tourists had experienced a marked growth in tourist arrivals.
She said tourism was an engine of economic growth that contributed significantly to Government’s economic agenda.
With this Univisa, the Zambian Government envisages that the economic impact of tourism, both at local and international levels will grow to international levels.
Through the multiplier effects, it is expected that the increase in tourist arrivals will lead to an increase in economic activity, and hence the supply chain will expand to meet the increased demand.
This will result in infrastructure development, job creation and poverty reduction, thereby, generating improved quality of life for citizens.
“The KAZA Univisa pilot project is bringing with it numerous opportunities for growth of the tourism sector not only for Zambia and Zimbabwe but for the entire SADC region as whole.
“The two countries have been given an opportunity to raise their profiles and position themselves globally to receive more tourists,” Ms Kapata said.
She noted that tourism was dependent on the facilitation of other support sectors and institutions for it to grow.
Ms Kapata cited institutions in the areas of safety and security, border management including visa facilitation, health, customs, aviation industry and local government among others as key partners in the growth of tourism.
At the same gathering, Dr Simbyakula said visa facilitation and air connectivity were important levers for increasing tourist arrivals to any international tourist destination.
According to Dr Simbyakula, tourism was one of the fastest and high growth sectors around the world.
He said the sector was key to accelerated growth and development because of its high potential for rapid employment growth and invariably, poverty reduction.
“It is against the background of this critical role of tourism in social-economic development that my Ministry partnered with the Ministry of Tourism and Arts on the Zambian side to design and implement the Zambia-Zimbabwe KAZA Univisa pilot project.
“We are here to celebrate the realisation of a vision of moving together as SADC countries towards a common future,” Dr Simbyakula said.
He reaffirmed the commitment of his Ministry through the Immigration Department to ensuring the success of the pilot project and its eventual roll-out to other KAZA Member States and ultimately the SADC region as a whole.
Speaking earlier, Mr Ziyambi said the travelling public would enjoy the benefits of exploring Zambia and Zimbabwe.
He said the future of SADC Member States depended on greater cooperation of various spheres of economic development as pillars of regional integration.
“This project would not have been a success without the support from the World Bank and the Germany Development Bank working with the SADC secretariat, KAZA and Regional Tourism Organisation for Southern Africa (RETOSA) secretariats.
“This partnership is important to SADC. We can achieve more if we work together. In future, it is imperative that we forge alliances that will help to implement the 1998 Heads of State and Government protocol on tourism to realise the vision of establishing the SADC common visa,” Mr Ziyambi said.
He said there was need to create an enabling environment to facilitate travel and business activities.
“The primary beneficiaries of this KAZA Univisa project will be our economies through travel and trade facilitation.
“We are not reinventing the will by implementing this project as many destinations across the globe have already successfully implemented similar projects,” he said.
Mr Ziyambi cited the European Union (EU) and the East African Community (EAC) as some of the destinations which had adopted a common visa regime.
“In every 12 visitors we receive in a destination, one job is created.
By allowing visitors to voyage between the two countries, it is my hope that both countries will increase their brand equity in the 40 source markets whose citizens shall obtain the KAZA visa in designated points of entry.
“Going in future, we should be able to agree to add more countries on our list of countries that benefit from KAZA visa and I have in mind China which has over 300 million people and we can maximise this market and attract high spenders,” Mr Ziyambi said.
In his vote of thanks, Dr. Mzembi said the launch of the KAZA Univisa pilot project between Zambia and Zimbabwe was an exercise to undo the colonial borders which were created by colonial masters.
“We need to have a paradigm shift and change of mindset by removing the restrictions which prevent trade and tourism activities to flourish.
“One of the major barriers to tourism growth in Africa is poor air connectivity and we need to improve in this area,” he said.
Dr Mzembi, who is also the SADC chairperson for Ministers responsible for Tourism, said there was need to open up the boundaries and borders to boost intra trade and tourism activities.
He said there was need to completely bring down the colonial borders as they were not helping to promote tourism.
“In 1998, there was a conception of SADC Univisa which we are celebrating today. If it was a baby, the gestation period of that baby would have been 16 years and it was courtship, you start chaffing someone when she is 20 and by the time she says yes she is 36 and very old.
“We should narrow the conception and gestation period to a more practical margin which enable us enjoy Africa in our lifetime,” Dr Mzembi said.
He noted that Livingstone and Victoria Falls had upgraded airports which needed to be marketed abroad so that they attract more and bigger aircrafts.
“Our airports should not be turned into white elephants. We need to open up Zambia and Zimbabwe to international traffic as a way forward.
“In the book of Isaiah Chapter 60, the prophet Isaiah is urging Zimbabwe and Zambia to arise and shine as well as open the borders to gentiles.
“Isaiah says we must keep our gates open during the night and night so that we enjoy the wealth of gentiles and the kings. The gentiles are our tourists and other visitors. If we don’t keep our gates open, then we won’t enjoy their wealth. Can you imagine the likely impact if one gentile from Europe spending US$ 1, 250 in our countries per trip,” Dr Mzembi said.
Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) managing director Felix Chaila Mr Chaila said the launch of the Univisa pilot project was one of the milestones that would facilitate more tourist arrivals to the two countries.
“As you know, visas usually lower tourist arrivals and this launch will allow tourists from 40 countries across the globe to apply as they enter Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he said.
According to Mr Chaila, there was need to continue simplifying the visas to attract more tourists.
He said Zambia was also in the process of launching the electronic visa processing system to attract more tourists.
Mr Chaila noted that Zimbabwe and other neighboring countries had already implemented an electronic visa system.
“Besides the Kaza visas Zambia is also expected to launch the electronic visa processing system and preparations have reached an advanced stage.
“For example, India and China are some of the biggest countries worldwide but you can imagine how long it can take for tourists from these countries to process visas in the absence of the electronic system,” he said.
Mr Chaila said ZTB had asked also the Ministry of Home Affairs to simplify the visa processes for tourists coming from key source markets across the globe to attract more tourists to the country.
He noted that most neighboring countries had either scrapped-off visas or reduced the visa fees for tourists coming from key source markets globally.
“When we studied the visas regimes, we have discovered that our neighboring countries have completed scrapped off or reduced visa fee to such countries while the Zambian fees are too high,” Mr Chaila said.
Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) chairperson Alex Mutali said the KAZA Univisa was a good project but the country needed to reposition itself to benefit from the initiative.
“Zimbabweans know what they want and so we must do the same. ZTB should make efforts and homework properly.
“Our Falls are dry at this time of the year while water is there on the Zimbabwean side. ZTB must work on the airlines so that they bring people to Livingstone cheaply and these are things which should be improved alongside the KAZA Univisa,” Mr Mutali said.
He said there was no Ebola case in Zambia but wondered why tourists were not coming to the country.
World Bank senior private sector development specialist Eneila Fernandez said countries with simplified visa regimes in the world attracted more tourists.
Ms Fernandez said the KAZA Univisa would attract more international tourists to the SADC region.
She thanked Zambia and Zimbabwe for working tirelessly to ensure the successful launch of the Univisa project.
By and large, the launch of the KAZA Univisa pilot project for Zambia and Zimbabwe will go a long way in attracting more tourists to the two countries and beyond.
However, it is important for tour operators and other players in the two countries to reposition themselves for increased business opportunities which will arise from this initiative.