Zimbabwe’s economy is in ruins and the country is hoping next year’s soccer world cup in South Africa might bring in millions of tourist dollars. The country is also expecting training visits by soccer stars. The Victoria Falls had once been Zimbabwe’s great tourist attraction. But, political violence and economic crunch have reduced the number of visitors at Victoria Falls and other tourist places in the country.

The income from tourism has slumped drastically. A visit from soccer fans before or after the world cup would be good for the country’s tourism. Visits from some of the great international teams would act as a real morale booster for the impoverished, but otherwise die-hard fans of soccer.

Officials believe that Zimbabwean tourism could earn as much as $100 million, a boon for the government, which has been an international neglect. The nation has caught the world headlines for all the wrong reasons due to violence, political turmoil, etc.  

But this dream may turn out to be unrealistic. Players looking for high altitude training to get adjusted to the conditions might opt for Angola, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia. A decade long crisis has put the infrastructure in a wreck. The National Sports Stadium in Harare, which has a seating capacity of 55,000, has been under repair for two years.

 Zimbabwe is in the need of $2 billion to revamp the infrastructure. The Western governments are holding back aids due to their distrust towards President Robert Mugabe.