Natural disasters, tropical cyclones and tourism
THE tourism and hospitality industry is one of the most sensitive sectors of the economy in case of any major natural catastrophes that might affect its operations.
In a chain reaction when disasters strike, the economy suffers particularly in regions that depend heavily on tourism such as Victoria Falls, Kariba and the Eastern Highlands as their contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is affected.
Zimbabwe, like most countries, is not spared from natural disasters and the negative effects are seen in the tourism sector with immediate consequences as the industry is sensitive to any external factors.
Direct negative impacts can result from the destruction of productive capital or infrastructure.
Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced Tropical Cyclones Eline, Japhet, Idai and recently Tropical Storm Ana which saw infrastructure and crops being destroyed.
Tropical Storm Ana last week left a trail of destruction in the Eastern Highlands (Nyanga, Mutare and Vumba) which houses key tourism sites such as Mutarazi Falls, Nyanga Mountain, Nyangombe Falls, Troutberk Resort, White Horse Inn, Kwayedza Lodge and Eden Lodge, among other players, with some areas inaccessible after trees blocked the roads.
The strong winds and heavy rains also saw power lines being disturbed and damaged, thereby affecting business in the area.
Hoteliers interviewed this week said business was heavily affected by Tropical Storm Ana.
They however said lessons should be drawn from the natural disaster.
Eastern Highlands Experience chairman, Mr William Chatigu of Kwayedza Lodge said: “It boils down to environmental issues and how as a people we haven’t been able to protect our environment.
“As an industry, we are adversely affected whenever accessibility is compromised. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure were damaged, thereby discouraging people from travelling. Since tourism is based on travelling, once there are challenges with accessibility to a destination, then there is no tourism to talk about.
“Tropical Storm Ana damaged electricity transmission infrastructure and without electricity it becomes very expensive to run a facility. There is need for Government through its various arms to ensure that the environment is protected. There should be no stream bank cultivation, cutting down of trees should be prohibited, and reforestation should be supported, while infrastructure should be maintained. Communities should also be conscientised on the importance of conservation,” said Mr Chatigu.
Hospitality and tourism lecturer at Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences, Mr Willard Madhombiro said the level of preparedness is critical to disaster management.
“Given the conditions of roads in the Eastern Highlands, some places have been inaccessible, all makeshift roads are exposed. While mist has its adverse effects on visibility, night driving to Vumba and some parts of Nyanga becomes a nightmare. Mist and cloudy conditions results in cancellation of flights and international tourists end up cancelling their trips due to bad weather.
“These unforeseen circumstances are a great inconvenience. Conferences and meetings are cancelled and this has a negative impact on hotel revenues.
“While there are no solutions to this crisis, high levels of preparedness are critical to disaster management. Frameworks have to be put in place so that hoteliers learn from previous experiences and benchmark against procedures adopted by countries like Haiti, the United States of America and China where cyclones and earthquakes are experienced.
“Climate change is real. After a cyclone is forecast, it is critical for information to be disseminated to all stakeholders so that they prepare for it accordingly. These include local communities, tourists, event planners, hotels,” said Mr Madhombiro.
In Chimanimani, some guests who had checked in at Chimanimani Hotel to stay for the week had to check out last week on Tuesday afternoon as Tropical Storm approached.
Said the hotel’s manager, Mr Mandla Mataure: “The tropical storm affected bookings for people who were meant to be here last week. They indefinitely postponed or cancelled their bookings,” he said.
Another prominent hotelier who owns an accommodation facility in the Eastern Highlands who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “We recorded so many cancellations and the rooms are virtually empty. We consider this a loss since most rooms will be empty.”
Golden Peacock Villa Hotel general manager, Mr Adonis Mutigwe said tropical cyclones can lead to a permanent decrease of the income level without the prospect of reaching the pre-disaster growth path again, hence the decreased demand for the tourism product.
“Natural disasters also cause time-delayed effects which result in the damage to the supply-chain and cause perennial interruptions on the demand-side of the industry. Cyclones also affect the power lines from where the industry thrives on for the smooth running of its operations, hence increasing the cost of production.
“By damaging the roads, the industry’s accessibility to the market is greatly affected, thereby leaving a product alienated from the supplier and its customer. Accessibility enables the industry to further expand the service or product, which increases profit.
“The destruction of telephone poles, connectivity lines and disruption of the internet is catastrophic to the tourism industry as it exposes the industry to the risks of lost revenue, reduced productivity and customer complaints.
“Natural diseases always come with the spread of communicable diseases such as cholera and malaria which affect communities and diverts the spending income from the tourism industry to the health sector,” he said.