‘Africa key to Zim tourism growth’

TO strengthen its economy against global uncertainty, Zimbabwe should focus more aggressively on regional African tourism markets and reduce heavy reliance on vulnerable overseas travel markets, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has said.

This comes at a time when the regional tourism sector continues to show resilience despite geopolitical tensions and disruptions affecting global travel.

Although international conflicts and global air travel disruptions have negatively affected tourism worldwide, Zimbabwe’s tourism industry recorded strong growth during the first quarter of 2026.

According to the First Quarter Tourism Performance Report released by ZTA, international tourist arrivals rose by eleven percent to 384 515 during the review period, while tourism receipts increased by 14 percent to US$251 million.

Recent geopolitical tensions, including the Iran conflict, have exposed the risks associated with depending heavily on distant overseas markets. The conflict disrupted global flight routes, increased fuel costs and contributed to a 12 percent decline in inbound tourism from some overseas markets as of March 2026.

The report noted that while long-haul tourists remain important because of their higher spending power, regional African tourism proved more stable during the period and helped cushion the sector from more severe losses.

“To strengthen tourism resilience, the sector players should reduce dependence on long-haul overseas markets by more aggressively promoting regional African tourism, which proved more stable,” the report said.

The recommendation comes as Africa continues to dominate Zimbabwe’s tourism source markets, accounting for 75 percent of all tourist arrivals during the first quarter.

Tourism remains one of Zimbabwe’s key economic sectors, alongside mining and agriculture, and is a major source of foreign currency and employment. The industry generates more than US$1,2 billion annually and supports over 200 000 jobs across various sectors of the economy.

During the review period, arrivals from Africa increased by nine percent to 287 062, further underlining the importance of regional tourism markets.

“Arrivals from Africa rose by 9 percent, while overseas arrivals grew by 16 percent. The share of overseas markets in the highest-spending segment typically edged up from 24 percent in 2025 to 25 percent in 2026. Consequently, Africa accounted for 75 percent of total arrivals in 2026, slightly down from 76 percent in 2025.”

The report said strengthening regional tourism could involve increased destination marketing in Southern and East Africa, expanding cross-border tourism packages, improving road and rail networks and making better use of regional aviation connections.

ZTA also called for the development of tourism products capable of withstanding global travel disruptions and fluctuating fuel prices.

“At the same time, developing shock-resilient tour packages such as all-inclusive overland or rail-based itineraries can help mitigate the impact of volatile airfares and fuel costs,” the report added.

Industry players believe regional tourism circuits linking Zimbabwe with neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia could unlock new opportunities while improving the country’s competitiveness within the regional tourism market.

The report added that regional tourism is generally less affected by disruptions to long-haul flights, making it a more dependable driver of growth during periods of global uncertainty.

While Zimbabwe’s strong start to the year reflects growing international recognition, improved air connectivity and stronger destination marketing strategies, tourism authorities believe future growth will depend on building resilience and diversifying source markets.

With Africa already accounting for 75 percent of arrivals, industry players are being encouraged to view the continent not merely as a supporting market, but as a key growth driver capable of sustaining the sector during periods of weak overseas demand.

The report said stronger regional marketing, innovative tourism products and a vibrant domestic tourism market would be critical in protecting the tourism industry from external shocks while supporting long-term growth.

“Zimbabwe’s solid start to the year provides a strong recovery platform once geopolitical tensions ease.

“In addition to the country’s marketing efforts, renewed international reputation and improved air connectivity will support the rebound. The domestic market is also expected to anchor the sector’s growth.”

The report said increased travel demand, better air connectivity, aggressive destination marketing and continued global recognition of Zimbabwe as a tourism destination contributed to the strong first-quarter performance.

Domestic tourism also recorded significant growth, with estimated local trips rising by 35 percent to 2,62 million compared to 1,94 million during the same period last year.

“International tourist arrivals increased by 11 percent, from 347 555 in 2025 to 384 515, while tourism receipts grew by 14 percent to US$251 million, up from US$221 million.

“Domestic tourism also strengthened, with trips rising to an estimated 2.62 million from 1.94 million, indicating improved local market participation,” the ZTA report said.

Zimbabwe’s tourism sector also continues to benefit from growing international exposure.

In 2025, the country was listed among Forbes’ top tourism destinations, while Zimbabwe also received recognition at the ITB Berlin 2026 tourism exhibition in Germany.

The rise in tourist arrivals translated into increased tourism spending by both local and international visitors.

Tourism investment also rose sharply during the first quarter, increasing from US$12,6 million during the same period last year to US$67,8 million — representing a 438 percent increase.

The report attributed the surge largely to a registration and regularisation exercise carried out by ZTA, which brought previously unregistered tourism facilities into the formal sector.

“A notable increase was registered in terms of tourism investments. This surge is due to the recent registration blitz carried out by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) on tourism operators, which resulted in regularisation of some facilities that were not regularised.”

Hotel performance also improved slightly, with average room occupancy rising to 38 percent from 37 percent recorded during the first quarter of 2025.

Tourism, which is recognised under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and the proposed NDS2 as a key pillar towards achieving an upper-middle-income economy by 2030, is increasingly becoming one of Zimbabwe’s most resilient and fastest-growing economic sectors.