VICTORIA FALLS - Most businesses here are losing out on World Cup tourism revenues as most of them have no card swiping facilities for master or American Express cards.
Despite tremendous advancement in service provision and customer service by tour and adventure operators and other stakeholders here, the town is still lagging behind in technology that allows for smooth use of plastic money.
Some hotels demand cash up-front as they do not have the swipe machines for certain cards.
Wengayi Nhau of Wenhau Safaris called on the commercial banks and the government to invest in facilities that allows the use of plastic money.
In the resort town, only the visa card is recognised by operators and the banks. But the truth of the matter is that not all tourists coming here are holders of that card. Some have the master card while others are holders of the American express card and these are being turned away. This is bad for tourism, said Nhau.
The problem is not us as operators but the banks themselves, they should invest in technology, in points of sale wherever possible so that tourists can spend their money anywhere and at any time.
The problem is worsened when the ATM machines that gives cash to visa card holders breaks down. Tourists will be forced to go to Zambia to look for cash so that they can come and spend there, he added.
Nhau said he was embarrassed at the Victoria Falls International Airport when the Immigration department refused master cards from some American clients because they did not have swipe machines for those cards.
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