07/05/2026
Conservationists Call Time On Illegitimate Tourism Developments At Victoria Falls
Conservation Campaign Group Call for Moratorium on Tourism Developments within Victoria Falls World Heritage Site and Removal of Recent Illegitimate Tourism Developments within the Site's 'No New Development Zone'
Keep Victoria Falls Wild (31st April 2026)
A new report by conservation campaign group Keep Victoria Falls Wild highlights increasing concerns over the management of the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site and threat from tourism development, calling for a moratorium on all new developments within the Site and its surrounding Buffer Zone pending finalisation, and approval by UNESCO, of a new Joint Management Plan for the Site and repeats calls for the removal of recent controversial tourism developments within the Site's protected area.
The report comes in the build up to the forthcoming 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, to be held in Busan, Republic of Korea over 19-29 July 2026 and recent submission of a new Draft Joint Plan for the management of the Site, submitted by the State Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe who share the management of the transboundary World Heritage Site.
The report highlights significant concerns over recent tourism developments on the southern, Zimbabwean, side of the Falls and within the World Heritage Site 'no new development zone' (HESZ) and in particular the lack of disclosure of these developments, and of recent tourism visitor figures, to UNESCO within recent State of Conservation Reports. This continued lack of disclosure follows specific and repeated requests from the World Heritage Committee for information relating to recent developments within the World Heritage Site.
The new Draft Joint Management Plan for the Site is also heavily criticised by conservationists for its delayed submission, contradictions, errors and missing details on key areas such as the management zonation for the Site and details of permitted/prohibited developments. The lack of detail on the zones comes after specific requests from the World Heritage Committee for the boundaries, zonation and buffer zone to be reviewed and clarified in the new document.
The report also identifies a growing list of wider issues and concerns in relation to the management of the Site before calling on the World Heritage Committee to reject the Draft Joint Management Plan submitted by the State Parties and request a final complete and consistent document as soon as possible, significantly calling for a moratorium on all tourism developments within the World Heritage Site and surrounding 500m Buffer Zone pending final submission, and approval by the Committee, of the revised Joint Plan and satisfactory resolution of a series of controversial tourism developments within and surrounding the Site.
In addition the report repeats calls for the cancellation of permits for recent illegitimate tourism developments issued by the Zimbabwe National Park Authority within the WHS HESZ and for all trace of these developments to be removed from the Site. This specifically relates to the recently constructed Baines Restaurant and ‘Rock Pool’ developments, as well as the proposed riverside ‘tree lodges’ development, reportedly to be managed under the InterContinental Hotel Group's exclusive Six Senses brand.
Finally the report recommends to the World Heritage Committee that the Site should be considered for immediate addition to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger if the State Parties fail to adequately address these issues.
Download the full report from the KVFW website -https://keepvictoriafallswild.com/downloads/KVFW(2026)SpecialReportVFWHS(final).pdf (pdf, 1.3mb).
Read more on the wave of tourism development pressures which threaten the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage Site on our website - https://keepvictoriafallswild.com/index.html
Photo: The controversial Baines Restaurant, located within the Victoria Falls National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site 'no new development' zone
