From rxpgnews.com
Victoria Falls' heritage status under threat
By DPA,
Nov 28, 2006 - 7:37:44 PM
Harare, Nov 28 - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe's prime tourist destination, risks being delisted as a World Heritage Site if neighbouring Zambia goes ahead with plans to build 500 tourist chalets next to the Falls, said a news report.
The deputy director of the World Heritage Centre in Paris has been in Zimbabwe and Zambia for high-level meetings following a request for an investigation by UNESCO and the World Conservation Union -, said the official Herald newspaper.
We are here to assess the state of the site in terms of the rules and regulations governing the World Heritage Sites, said Kishore Rao.
Some infrastructural developments are a threat to the site and we are making assessments on both sides, he added.
In its heyday, Victoria Falls known locally as Mosi oa Tunya, or the smoke that thunders, was an attraction for Western tourists. Backpackers and well-heeled visitors thronged to see the Falls, which are only accessible through a thick rainforest.
But land reforms, alleged rights abuses by the state and Zimbabwe's fast-failing economy have seen the numbers of tourists dwindle.
Zambia has capitalised on Zimbabwe's loss of favour with trippers, and many visitors now prefer to visit the Falls from the Zambian side or jet in for a day trip from Zimbabwe's southern neighbour, South Africa.
Zambia reportedly plans to construct chalets in the middle of the rainforest.
Rao, who met government officials here, said a decision on whether to delist Victoria Falls would only be taken in June 2007, according to the Herald.
'We are now leaving for Lusaka - where we intend to meet officials there as some of the decisions might be political. So it will be premature if say anything concerning the delisting of the site,' Rao was quoted as saying.
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