Abramovich in mystery Zimbabwe visit

Abramovich in mystery Zimbabwe visit

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By Showbiz Reporter

CHELSEA Football Club owner and billionaire Roman Abramovich ended a mysterious short visit to Zimbabwe on Thursday, reports said.

It remained unclear when he entered the country, but the Russian oil tycoon, accompanied by a friend, visited a statue of David Livingstone in the resort town of Victoria Falls on Wednesday.

He took a stroll around the falls, catching an eyeful of a body of water cascading down the Zambezi River into the gorge below, local media reported.

Later Wednesday, he withdrew back to his £400 per night presidential suite at the Elephant Hills hotel.

Abramovich gave no interviews during the walk-about at one of the world’s prime holiday resorts, the Chronicle newspaper reported.

It was speculated that Abramovich, travelling on a private jet, would visit the central town of Kwekwe on undisclosed business.

The Victoria Falls -- voted one of the world's seven wonders -- has attracted some of the world’s most famous celebrities, from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to pop king Michael Jackson. But in recent years, tourists have dried-up in response to political instability and a crumbling economy.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), a government agency leading the drive to market Zimbabwe as a tourist destination, immediately seized on Abramovich’s visit which it declared was proof that Zimbabwe is “open for business and safe”.

ZTA marketing and communications director Givemore Chidzidiza told New Zimbabwe.com Abramovich’s visit was a result of their worldwide marketing strategy.

He said: “What else can be said, Schwarzenegger has been here, Michael Jackson has been here and now Roman.

"This tells you that Zimbabwe is a safe destination for anyone across the world and teams that will participate in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa must be assured that they are more than welcome.

"We have been working flat out to market tourism in this country and abroad and these are some of the results of that strategy.”

According to Forbes magazine's rich list for 2007, Abramovich is the 15th richest man in the world with a personal fortune of about US$23,5 billion (£11,75 billion).

MAN AND HIS TOY: Roman Abramovich's private jet
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