Lovemore Kadzura and Lloyd Makonya
MORE than 10 000 people are expected to descend on the iconic Birchenough Bridge tomorrow (Saturday) as Manicaland hosts the launch of the Presidential Domestic Tourism Festive Season Campaign, an event that promises to place the Eastern Highlands firmly at the centre of Zimbabwe’s tourism map.
The launch, to be held beneath Zimbabwe’s only suspension bridge, will transform the Save River shoreline into a hive of sporting, entertainment and business activity, while showcasing the tourism potential of an area long regarded as one of the country’s hidden gems.
The event comes at a time when Manicaland is consolidating its status as one of Zimbabwe’s leading tourism and events destinations following a string of high-profile national gatherings and an improvement in tourism performance indicators.
Hosted by the Presidential Communications Department in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and other Government agencies, the campaign seeks to encourage Zimbabweans to travel within the country and explore local tourist attractions.
Director of Economic Affairs and Investment Promotion in Manicaland, Mr Munyaradzi Rubaya, said all roads will lead to Birchenough Bridge.
“We are launching the Domestic Festive Tourism Campaign, and encouraging Zimbabweans to visit local tourist attractions. Birchenough Bridge was chosen because of its unique tourism appeal and strategic location between Manicaland and Masvingo provinces.
“We expect more than 10 000 people from across the country, including Chipinge, Buhera, Chimanimani, Bikita and Chiredzi, among other districts. We are inviting everyone to come and celebrate the start of the festive season, while appreciating what our country has to offer,” said Mr Rubaya.
The day-long programme will feature football, volleyball, athletics, tug-of-war, golf and other sporting disciplines at Save Beach, with teams from Manicaland squaring off against their Masvingo counterparts.
The festivities will culminate in a tourism musical gala featuring 20 artistes, including 14 established national performers, and six upcoming artistes drawn from Manicaland and Masvingo.
For tourism officials, however, the event represents far more than a single day’s entertainment.
It is also a strategic effort to unlock the tourism potential of Birchenough Bridge and Save Beach, destinations that remain largely under-utilised despite their natural beauty and historical significance.
Mr Rubaya described Birchenough Bridge as a “sleeping tourism giant” with enormous potential to attract visitors.
“Birchenough Bridge offers a unique experience. It is the only suspension bridge in the country and stands as a remarkable feat of engineering. Coupled with Save Beach, the area has the potential to become one of Zimbabwe’s premier tourism destinations.
“We have organised various activities, including braai facilities and entertainment, and sourced 1 000 kilogrammes of game meat. Local people will also have an opportunity to sell food, beverages and other products. This is not only a tourism event, but a business opportunity for communities,” he said.
Visitors intending to spend the weekend in the area have also been encouraged to utilise accommodation facilities available around Birchenough Bridge, Hot Springs, Chipinge and Mutare.
For Manicaland, the launch represents another milestone in a broader effort to position the province as a year-round tourism and events destination.
The province’s tourism profile has received a significant boost in recent years through the successful hosting of major national events, including the 2025 Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanayi World Tourism Expo, the ZANU PF Annual National People’s Conference and the Third National Retirement Planning Conference for Public Sector Workers.
These events attracted thousands of visitors, stimulated business activity and demonstrated the province’s growing capacity to host large-scale national gatherings.
The latest Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) 2026 half-year performance report shows that Manicaland and Masvingo, both recorded a 12 percentage-point increase in average hotel room occupancy during the first six months of 2026, the strongest provincial improvements recorded over the period.
The performance is particularly significant against a national backdrop in which average hotel room occupancy increased from 41 percent in the first half of 2025 to 43 percent during the corresponding period this year.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) president, Ms Emmah Kativhu, said the association welcomes Government’s decision to launch the campaign in Manicaland, describing the province as an area with exceptional tourism opportunities.
“As HAZ, we welcome this initiative by Government to launch the Domestic Tourism Campaign in Manicaland. Manicaland offers exceptional opportunities through Nyanga, Vumba, Chimanimani and many other cultural and natural attractions,” she said.
She said the industry’s priority is to ensure that the campaign translates increased awareness into actual business for tourism operators.
“Our priority is to translate awareness into bookings through affordable, clearly priced packages, strong partnerships between accommodation providers and tour operators, as well as consistent quality service standards. Domestic tourism can support occupancy throughout the year, sustain jobs and spread tourism income to more communities,” she said.
Eden Lodge manager, Mr Lindani Ngwenya, said the industry welcomes the decision to bring the campaign to Manicaland, noting that the launch will place the region in the national spotlight.
“As an industry, we welcome the domestic tourism launch in Manicaland because it puts the region in the spotlight. We hope this will help sustain the significant growth witnessed in domestic trips during the first half of the year,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya also called for a stronger culture of domestic travel among Zimbabwean families, saying holidays and leisure outings should be embraced as an important part of family life.
He commended Government for initiatives aimed at improving the ease of doing business, particularly efforts to reduce licensing costs, which he said were welcome developments for tourism operators.
However, he said the industry’s growth prospects will depend partly on addressing persistent infrastructure challenges in some of the country’s tourism destinations.
He cited Vumba as an example, noting that prolonged power cuts at times disrupt operations, while the condition of some roads make access difficult, particularly during the rainy season.
The launch at Birchenough Bridge also provides an opportunity to promote tourism circuits that extend across provincial boundaries, encouraging travellers to combine attractions in Manicaland and Masvingo rather than treating destinations as isolated holiday choices.
While the improvement in room occupancy is encouraging, industry players will need to sustain the momentum through competitive pricing, attractive packages, effective destination marketing and consistent service delivery.
The ZTA report also recorded a 16 percent increase in national parks entries to 475 654 during the first half of 2026. Domestic visitors to national parks increased by 32 percent, further demonstrating the growing appetite among Zimbabweans to experience the country’s natural attractions.
Tourism investment also rose significantly, reaching US$132,3 million compared with US$40,2 million in the first half of 2025.
However, the authority cautioned that much of the increase was driven by its nationwide registration and compliance blitz, which brought previously unregistered facilities into the formal records and captured their investment values.
