HARARE, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Germany has lifted travel warnings against Zimbabwe, becoming the third country to do so in recent weeks after Japan and the United States, New Ziana reported on Tuesday.
Deputy head of the Germany Embassy in Zimbabwe
Hubertus Klink told the local news agency on Tuesday that the decision to remove
the warnings was made last week.
"The decision was reached just before the Easter
holidays," he said. "We had never imposed travel restrictions on Zimbabwe but
advised our citizens to visit the country only for urgent business and not
tourism," he said, adding that the German government has now eased its
disposition on Zimbabwe.
He said German citizens had, despite the warning,
continued to visit Zimbabwe particularly the Victoria Falls.
"Though we advised our nationals to visit just for
urgent business we encouraged them to visit Victoria Falls which we deemed
safe," he said.
Klink admitted some sticking issues remain unsolved,
but said relations between Germany and Zimbabwe are slowly getting back to
normal.
Alleged new farm invasions and the cholera epidemic,
though on the decline, have to be immediately addressed as they produce negative
headlines, he said.
The diplomat stressed negative headlines would not
help in attracting more German tourists into the country, while positive reports
would increase the number of visitors as Germans were avid travelers.
A considerable number of Germans visited the majestic
Victoria Falls every year, *** up a large portion of high spenders who do not
shy away from a conflict free region.
Klink also said the country had unparalleled tourist
attractions that easily lure visitors. "A bigger chunk of German tourists is
made up of nature and outdoor lovers and Zimbabwe offer better national parks
and game reserves. The untouched nature is a big advantage," he added.
Tourism, due to its quick turnaround nature, is one of the key sectors that the Zimbabwe government is banking on for inflows to resuscitate the economy.
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