With successful theme parks in California, Florida and Paris, officials in Zimbabwe are hoping to open a "Disneyland in Africa," according to the Guardian. The idea is an attempt to rebrand the country, which is known for its economic problems and political violence.
The government plans to invest $300 million in building the theme park, which would be located near Victoria Falls, the top tourist attraction in the country, according to Walter Mzembi, the tourism and hospitality minister.
Mzembi has outlined plans for entertainment facilities and venues such as casinos, as well as banks and shopping malls.
"We have reserved 1,200 hectacres of land closer to Victoria Falls International airport to do hotels and convention centers," Mzembi told New Ziana during the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) general assembly meeting, which is being hosted in Zambia.
"We want to create a free zone with a banking center where even people who do not necessarily live in Zimbabwe can open bank accounts," Mzembi said.
Additionally, the government plans to expand the airport to accommodate larger aircraft. The government has lined up funding partners including multilateral financial institutions, according to Mzembi.
Victoria Falls is a major tourist destination, but the surrounding area has little to offer. The new projects are an attempt to draw more tourists, as well as appeal to a younger demographic.
The Zimbabwe government says that its tourism has increased 17 percent during the first quarter of 2013. If the county maintains stability, that could rise to 15 percent. Still, not everyone is in favor of improving the image of Zimbabwe.
"Amid reports of election rigging and continuing human rights abuses, Zimbabwe is the last country that should be legitimized by a U.N. summit of any kind," Hillel Neuer, the head of U.N. Watch, a Geneva-based group, said. "The notion that the U.N. should spin this country as a lovely tourist destination is, frankly, sickening."
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