By Musa Makina
As global travel rebounds from pandemic lows and travellers seek authentic, sustainable experiences, Zimbabwe’s tourism sector is undergoing a strategic renaissance.
Beyond record international arrivals and revenue growth, domestic tourism has emerged as a vital engine of inclusion, resilience and economic circulation — a trend that is reshaping national development strategies across Southern Africa.
Across Africa, tourism is often framed through the lens of foreign arrivals and international receipts.
Zimbabwe, however, is quietly challenging that narrative — positioning domestic tourism as a strategic pillar and cornerstone of economic resilience, inclusion, growth and sovereignty
Government data shows that domestic travel now outpaces international tourism in terms of economic activity, employment creation and revenue retention — a shift with implications far beyond the hospitality sector.
Domestic tourism has emerged as a powerful engine of Zimbabwe’s economic independence, with government recognising its role as a major contributor to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a key pillar of Vision 2030.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Honorouble Barbara Rwodzi, said domestic travel continues to outperform international tourism in driving real economic activity, despite being underreported.
“Domestic tourism is actually contributing more to tourism income than we often acknowledge,” said Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi. “The problem is that we haven’t been recording it accurately.”
Rwodzi has championed efforts to more accurately measure and leverage domestic tourism, which has often been undervalued in traditional statistics.
Improved data collection initiatives aim to capture the full economic impact of local travel — including the spending of returning diaspora travellers and regional visitors — which circulates within the economy and supports micro and small businesses.
Government is moving to correct long-standing data classification gaps.
The Tourism and Hospitality Industry ministry is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to refine data collection systems, addressing anomalies that have seen returning diaspora travellers recorded as local arrivals, despite the fact that they travel from international destinations, spend foreign currency in the country, and return abroad — particularly during peak travel seasons, she said.
“They come in their numbers and we need to know how many of these international arrivals are Zimbabweans living and working in the diaspora.”
Hon Rwodzi said the Second Republic, under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, continues to value the contribution of the diaspora both in investment and tourism.
“Our President is very keen about diaspora investments in the country,” she added.
The recognition matters. Domestic tourism spending circulates locally, supports SMEs and reduces vulnerability to global travel shocks — a lesson reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zimbabwe’s tourism sector enjoyed a buoyant first half of 2024, welcoming over 750,000 international visitors and generating nearly US$493 million in receipts, as improved infrastructure and global demand revitalised visitor flows to iconic attractions such as Victoria Falls.
According to official figures, domestic tourism trips increased by 20.9 percent in 2025, from 8.2 million to 9.92 million, while tourism receipts rose 10 percent to US$992 million.
Tourism now contributes between 12 and 15 percent of GDP and has surpassed the government’s US$5 billion revenue target for 2025.
The strongest growth has come from Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, which continues to attract corporate and institutional spending.
“Domestic tourism performs exceptionally well in MICE,” Rwodzi said. “That’s why we clustered the tourism sector — to understand which segments are driving value allowing us to strengthen value chains and improve targeting,” said Rwodzi.
Yet this growth remains uneven. Leisure travel among families and individuals is still constrained by high pricing.
“Prices are quite exorbitant for locals,” Rwodzi admitted. “That’s why family travel remains low.”
Policymakers are advancing reforms through the new Tourism and Hospitality Industry Policy (2025–2030), which prioritises sustainability, digital innovation and regional integration.
Investments in skills development, hospitality training and community-based tourism aim to broaden participation and elevate service standards.
With over US$910 million in cumulative tourism investments recorded under the National Development Strategy 1, Hon Rwodzi revealed that plans were afoot to roll out a US$10 million Tourism Academy to enhance professional training and service quality.
Plans also include strengthening MICE infrastructure, expanding community-based tourism, and deploying additional Tourism Attachés to emerging markets to grow Brand Zimbabwe.
“These initiatives are designed to build capacity, attract investment, promote sustainability and ensure Zimbabwe continues to shine as a top destination on the African continent,” said Hon Rwodzi.
Economists argue that domestic tourism delivers stronger multiplier effects by keeping value within local economies and supporting small and medium enterprises.
They note that the emphasis on domestic tourism reflects a broader shift toward internal, demand-led growth offering a template for tourism-led growth that is resilient, people-centred and regionally integrated — expanding the sector’s impact on jobs, services and entrepreneurial opportunities..
As Zimbabwe aligns policy, investment and brand strategy toward its US$10 billion goal, the tourism sector is re-calibrating from a dependence on external shocks to a balanced growth model that harnesses both global appeal and local participation.
Under this approach, domestic travelers may prove to be Zimbabwe’s most reliable asset.
