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Victoria Falls has a problem.

Now, before tourism operators start spilling their morning coffee, it is a rather enviable problem to have.

The destination is simply too popular.

For years, travellers from around the world have flocked to one of Africa’s greatest natural wonders. Honeymooners, safari lovers, adventure seekers and luxury travellers have all helped transform Victoria Falls into one of the continent’s most sought-after destinations.

The trouble is that success comes with consequences.

Ask any incentive planner, conference organiser or destination management company trying to secure quality accommodation for a group during peak season and you’ll likely hear a familiar sigh. The smaller boutique lodges that helped make Victoria Falls famous are charming, intimate and highly desirable.

They’re also often full.

Very full.

Sometimes booked out long before delegates have even packed their bags.

That challenge may finally have found a solution with the launch of Victoria Falls Tented Camp by Chiefs Tented Camps, a seasonal private-use safari camp opening from March to September 2026 on Zimbabwe’s private Jafuta Reserve.

And while new accommodation developments are hardly unusual in the travel industry, this one feels a little different.

Perhaps it is because the camp isn’t trying to compete with the Falls.

Nothing can.

Instead, it offers something increasingly difficult to find in modern travel – space, silence and the luxury of having nature set the agenda.

Located just 15 minutes from Victoria Falls International Airport, the camp sits within an active wildlife corridor used by the region’s Jafuta elephant population as they move between protected wilderness areas surrounding the Falls.

In many destinations, wildlife sightings are advertised on glossy brochures.

At Jafuta, they simply wander past.

The camp’s initial configuration includes 40 luxury en-suite canvas tents accommodating up to 80 guests sharing, with the flexibility to scale for larger bespoke groups exceeding 100 guests.

For incentive planners, that number is significant.

For elephants, thankfully, it probably means very little.

What matters more is that the development fills a genuine gap in the Victoria Falls market.

Over the past decade, accommodation trends have steadily shifted toward smaller boutique properties. While that has enhanced the destination’s appeal for individual travellers, it has also reduced available inventory for larger incentive groups and corporate events.

The result has been growing frustration among organisers searching for a destination that delivers both exclusivity and capacity.

Victoria Falls Tented Camp aims to provide both.

According to Allan Johnston of Chiefs Tented Camps, the concept was born from a clear industry need.

“Victoria Falls has long been a leading incentive destination, but over time the availability of dedicated group inventory has diminished as the market shifted toward smaller boutique properties,” Johnston said.

“What we’ve created at Jafuta is a private canvas camp where groups can come together in one place, in the bush, without compromise, close to the Falls, but completely immersed in nature.”

That immersion is perhaps the camp’s greatest selling point.

This isn’t a property where guests simply arrive, tick off a wildlife drive and return to a swimming pool.

The experience has been designed around the landscape itself.

Elephant conservation, environmental education and community engagement are woven throughout the guest journey. Visitors can gain insights into ongoing conservation work while learning about the critical wildlife corridors that help connect protected ecosystems throughout the region.

It’s a refreshing reminder that tourism and conservation don’t have to sit on opposite sides of the table.

In the best cases, they can work hand in hand.

Days at the camp are expected to revolve around guided bush experiences, wildlife photography, cultural encounters with local artists and storytellers, and river-edge sundowners well away from the more heavily travelled tourist routes.

Evenings, meanwhile, return to one of travel’s oldest pleasures.

A fire.

A meal.

Good company.

And a sky filled with enough stars to make city dwellers question some of their life choices.

The development has also embraced local partnerships from the outset. Décor, furnishings and design elements have been sourced from Zimbabwean artisans and manufacturers wherever possible, ensuring economic benefits remain within local communities.

Environmental considerations have received equal attention.

The camp operates off-grid and plans to progressively expand its solar energy capability. Waste and recycling programmes are managed through certified local partners, helping protect the sensitive Jafuta ecosystem.

Guests will also benefit from special access arrangements with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), opening opportunities to explore lesser-visited areas including Chamabonda and Zambezi National Park through routes that avoid some of the region’s busier tourism gateways.

For travel advisors, incentive houses and DMCs, the timing could hardly be better.

Today’s premium travellers are increasingly searching for experiences that feel authentic rather than manufactured.

They want stories to tell.

Moments to remember.

Something that cannot be replicated by another luxury hotel lobby.

And perhaps that is where Victoria Falls Tented Camp may have found its sweet spot.

After all, marble floors are impressive.

But they rarely leave footprints.

Elephants do.

And those tend to stay with you for a very long time.