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The current malaise within Zimbabwe's tourism industry could benefit its long-term development by forcing it to examine its attitude towards fragile wilderness areas, argues Sally Wynn. My first experience of the Zambezi River's unique wilderness quality was a childhood walk upstream from Victoria Falls. Then, the revering bush really was wild and made a very strong first impression. Years later, a canoe trip from Manna Pools to Lake Cahora Bassa made me a wilderness convert for life and I feel truly lucky that my work sometimes takes me into remote parts of this magnificent river valley.
I am not alonE.The Zambezi Society's membership consists almost entirely of people who value the wild nature of the Zambezi River so much that they want to do something to conserve it. And the trend is worldwidE.Type ' wilderness ' into an Internet search engine；the scores of societies and foundations devoted to wilderness appreciation, preservation and research show how popular this concept has become, as do the wilderness ' discovery ' experiences available to adventurous travelers.
But still some people ask ' how relevant is wihlerness conservation in 21 st century Africa? ' Many argue that developing nations have more important concerns than setting aside wild places for the enjoyment of tourists and wilderness enthusiasts. But if the results of a recent Zambezi Society survey are anything to go by, wilderness conservation is very relevant indeeD.The argument that wilderness is an unaffordable luxury shows a singular lack of understanding not only of the vital link between tourism and development, but of the true value of Africa's wild areas to the continent's peoplE.
At the height of its boom in the 1980s and early 90s, Zimbabwe's tourism industry was so busy counting the dollars that it paid scant heed either to the impact its success was having on major assets like the Zambezi River, or to whether its customers were satisfied with the experience they were getting for their money. The Zambezi Society and other conservation lobby groups were lone voices in the wilderness crying out for environmental sanity at places like Victoria Falls which, by 1995, was receiving bad press even in Time magazinE.
By October 2000, the Society had defined ' Zambezi wilderness ' as visitors see it and identified the factors which detract from this wilderness. 98% of respondents felt it important that wild places exist, and it was evident that visitors to Victoria Falls were less satisfied with the quality of their wilderness experience than, for example, visitors to Mana Pools, due to overdevelopment, commercialisation and overcrowding. It seemed that hotels and tour operators were contributing to the erosion of wilderness values in sensitive areas by promoting high-impact activities, so we defined wilderness-sensitive and appropriate tourism facilities.
What does the author think about the current situation of Zimbabwe's tourism industry?
A.He is quite worried about its futurE.
B.He is concerned about his own experience therE.
C.He believes it is a good thing in the long run.
D.He is not sure about whether it will step out of the current troubles.