POLITICAL turmoil and a cholera outbreak scared international tourists away from the small southern African kingdom of Swaziland last year, a new Central Bank report indicates. The disruptions sparked a flood of cancellations in the second half of 2000, resulting in a 4% drop in bed nights sold at major hotels. The Central Bank report indicates that only 421 407 bed nights were sold in 2000, compared to 438 966 bed nights sold in 1999. The report also warned that fewer tourists were spending more than one day in the kingdom due to dropping standards at local hotels. “Swaziland urgently needs to develop more unique tourist attractions with better service standards, so that tourists have a wider choice,” the report suggests. The country still managed to increase overall tourism revenue by 2% to R188,7-million during 2000, because even though fewer tourists visited the kingdom, they spent more on curios, gaming and food. – African Eye News Service