Amanda E.N Jojo

Victoria Falls’ ultimate safari lodge, Matetsi Victoria Falls has been ranked the No.1 Resort Hotel in Africa on the 2021 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards list.

The safari lodge is located in the vast Matetsi Private Game Reserve, on the banks of the Zambezi River. The award is a great endorsement of Zimbabwe as a tourism destination.

Co-founder of Matetsi Victoria Falls, Sara Gardiner said it has been their vision to position the lodge as number one in Africa thus, showcasing how exceptional Zimbabwe is.

“A key part of our mission is to showcase to a global audience everything exceptional about our beautiful home country Zimbabwe. From stunning landscapes, incredible wildlife, the mighty Zambezi River, of course the spectacular Victoria Falls and most importantly our warm authentic Zimbabwean hospitality.

“Currently, we protect 55 000 hectares of land that is dedicated to wildlife conservation as well as 15km of Zambezi River frontage. We are also able to create employment, upskilling opportunities for Zimbabweans as 176 people are employed here,” Gardiner said.

This top ranking shines a light on both Matetsi Victoria Falls, and Zimbabwe as a tourism destination.
Tourism is a key economic pillar for the revival and growth of the Zimbabwean economy as underlined in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) government blueprint.

At its peak, Zimbabwe received more than 2,5 million tourists annually and arrivals fell by 11 percent to 2,294 million in 2019 due to negative destination image.

Hence, the award is a great endorsement of the country as a tourism destination and it compliments Zimbabwe’s anticipation of the tourism sector rebound of international tourism.