Eminently EveWhile on the surface, the statement “travelling is a luxury” may sound true, at root & in a country like Zimbabwe however, I actually find it to be a need. Below are three (of many reasons) I consider tourism to be a need & not a luxury in Zimbabwe:
1: With 95% plus unemployment rate in the country (due to closed manufacturing industries), tourism is one of the few industries left with the potential of creating a significant amount of employment because of how widespread it is in the country & the different skill sets it requires.
Imagine the number of tourist destinations that are already in every province of the country and then those that could actually be added. Then think of the potential employment rate. Tourist destinations do not function only on tourism & hospitality specialists. Those from other industries such as marketing, accounting, quality control, logistics, administration, property & facility maintenance, construction, medicine, IT, among others are also needed in a properly functional tourist facility.
It is so sad whenever I come across a comment like, “travelling in Zimbabwe is daylight robbery so I would rather travel to other countries until the Zim tourist facilities learn“. It makes me wonder if people with this mindset ever stop to ask themselves why it is not only one, two or three but all the tourist destinations in the country that have similar price ranges? Is it ever considered that a larger percentage of material, products & machinery required to run these resorts are imported, unlike in other countries which still have functional manufacturing industries? The cost of inputs is already way higher for tourist facilities in Zimbabwe. There is absolutely nothing wrong with touring other countries or continents, HOWEVER, does charity not begin at home?
Travelling on its own is not a luxury, how & where one chooses to travel to and the amenities chosen are what could be described as luxury or not. Travelling does not even mean going hundreds of kms away from one’s home, it can just be visiting the game park, nature reserve or resort situated less than 100km from one’s house. That is still a big part of employment creation.
2: Travelling significantly reduces your medical bills – your health stands to benefit so much from it.
When we visit mountainous areas, waterfalls and the bush in general, we absorb what are called negative ions which are produced by nature in these environments. Once they reach our bloodstream, they cause biochemical reactions which increase levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps in the movement of messages from one area of the brain to another. It influences brain cells related to mood, appetite & digestion, sleep, memory & learning, temperature regulation and other social behaviors. An imbalance in serotonin levels (caused by but not limited to day to day stresses, inadequate exercise levels & others) can lead to depression, anxiety, panic and even excessive anger.
Common antidepressant medications known as SSRIs, are designed to boost serotonin levels which negative ions found in mountainous areas and waterfalls surroundings also do. Some therapists are now even prescribing “negative ion generators” (more research is still being done on them though) to their patients suffering from depression (in addition to medication). These negative ion generators are supposed to imitate waterfalls & mountains in producing negative ions. We are lucky that here in Zimbabwe, our weather actually allows us to be outdoors from January to December & so we have access to these mountains & waterfalls throughout the year. Surely, if taking care of such crucial parts of your health is a luxury, I don’t know what qualifies as a need.
3: Conservation of wildlife, nature & environment depends on it.
Without nature we are non existent… literally!
In these articles I have shared in detail 7 Ways that Extinction of other Animal & Plant species affects you in your everyday life and also 5 Results of deforestation in Zimbabwe which have devastating effects directly on you. I encourage you to check out these articles. Sadly, we seem to think that the conservation of nature & environment is all fun & games until 3 cyclones with devastating effects to agriculture & people’s entire livelihoods are experienced in just the first quarter of the year (ref 2022). If it doesn’t make you wonder what is awaiting us in the last quarter and in years to come if our ways do not change & if supporting nature conservation projects continues being categorised as a luxury… it means that we are headed for even more serious trouble than anticipated.
Some people are under the impression that game parks are run & owned by the government. This could not be further from the truth. A lot of them are actually privately owned by people who feel strongly about conservation. Those under Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority are not financially supported by the government either (unlike those from our other neighbouring countries). They rely 100% on our financial contribution through entry & activity fees. Some few lucky ones also get support from the donor community but unfortunately the donor community is fatigued at this point due to high numbers of causes in need of donations. So in essence, it is actually us, that local game parks & nature reserves rely on to visit & support. This article also covers some of the expenses incurred just in trying to conserve wildlife and nature so do check it out too for a better picture – Why are Zimbabwean game parks expensive?
Conclusion
Just like with anything in life, be it clothes, houses, residential areas, and others, there are destinations that are more expensive than others & those that are more affordable than others. If you can afford Zimparks campsites or chalets & not Matetsi, it’s okay to visit Zimparks projects & support those as best as you can. There are people in a higher income bracket, who also want to support conservation projects but wouldn’t want to spend a night in the cheaper accommodation options therefore places like Matetsi, Singita, Malilangwe etc were created to accommodate those. Why should other countries host all the world’s richest people when Zimbabwe could as well? It is because of destinations mentioned above and others not mentioned that Zimbabwe is able to host some of these wealthy people of the world. Instead of bashing them like I always see happening on social media, how about appreciating them for putting us on the map as a country and extending to them our moral support until our pockets can afford to support them financially as well.
Remember to always have a little intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about Intimacy With Nature 🙂
