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Cautiously Optimistic Travel: Power-Sharing Deal in Zimbabwe Could Reopen Doors to Tourism

September 13, 2008 at 2:15 PM | 0 Comments

Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for 28 years, and in the past decade or so he's grown increasingly paranoid, hostile and unhinged, terrorizing opposition parties, fixing elections, and destroying the country's agriculture industry, causing widespread hardship and international isolation. Threats of violence and the general perception of danger have significantly tamped down what was once a vibrant tourism sector in the country, with the U.S. State Department reporting that "resident and visiting Americans have been arrested, detained, or threatened with expulsion for activities that would not be considered crimes in the U.S., including the expression of opinions regarding the current political regime in Zimbabwe."

There's potentially good news on the horizon, though: a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and his chief rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, is expected to be signed on Monday, and while nobody expects the old man to give up all his authority overnight, it's a step toward stability and - hopefully - a Mugabe-free future for the long-suffering nation.

We were in Zimbabwe for a couple of days about ten years ago, breezing through Harare on route to Victoria Falls, an achingly beautiful resort area that lies across the Zambezi River from Zambia. While the Zimbabwe side boasts better views of the falls, its resorts have foundered as tourists gravitated to the relative safety of Zambian accommodations. Here's hoping that a new-found peace restores the competitive balance between the two nations, and hotels compete on the basis of price and amenities instead of the likelihood of harassment and attack.

[Photo: The Independent]

Related Stories:
· The Most Fragile of Deals: Mugabe Finally Cedes Power [The Independent]
· Dangerous Travel Coverage [Jaunted]