Online Reporter
Alicia Kadzviti-Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE is set to adopt a heritage-first tourism strategy under a new five-year blueprint aimed at positioning the country as Africa’s destination of choice while driving economic growth, job creation and investment.
Speaking at the National Tourism Sector Strategy Stakeholder Consultation Workshop in Mazowe on Monday, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said the proposed National Tourism Sector Strategy (2026-2030) would leverage Zimbabwe’s natural attractions, cultural heritage and communities to boost tourism and contribute to the attainment of Vision 2030.
“We are a heritage-based destination. God gave us our minerals, a good climate, beautiful natural and cultural heritage, and landscapes,” she said.
“That is what we sell to the people out there. Our guiding principle is heritage first.
“We must speak more about who we are as Zimbabweans and what we offer with confidence because that is our competitive advantage.”
Minister Rwodzi said tourism was becoming increasingly important as countries sought to diversify their economies in the face of climate change and fluctuations in commodity prices.
“Agriculture is affected by climate change, while the prices of minerals are determined by international markets.
“That is why many countries are now looking to tourism. Tourism is heritage-based, and Zimbabwe has everything it takes to compete,” she said.
She said the strategy would promote a diversified tourism offering beyond wildlife by focusing on sports tourism, medical tourism, gastronomy, cultural and heritage tourism, as well as community-based rural tourism.
“We now have cluster-based tourism. We have sports tourism, medical tourism, rural tourism, gastronomy, culture and heritage. Zimbabwe is not just a place to visit; it is a cultural destination,” she said.
Tourism is expected to play a key role in employment creation, foreign currency generation, investment promotion and rural industrialisation.
Added Minister Rwodzi: “Under NDS2, tourism is expected to generate employment, foreign currency earnings and drive investment.
“Tourism creates jobs, earns income from both domestic and international visitors, and stimulates rural industrialisation and community development.”
She also highlighted the sector’s role in advancing Zimbabwe’s image internationally through soft diplomacy.
“The President’s objective when he created a standalone Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry was to use tourism to counter sanctions through soft diplomacy.
“Our hospitality, accommodation, cuisine and natural wonders help to change perceptions about Zimbabwe.”
To improve service standards, Minister Rwodzi said Government would establish a standalone School of Excellence in Tourism to strengthen human capital development and produce world-class tourism professionals.
In a side interview, Minister Rwodzi stressed that the success of the strategy would depend on strong collaboration across Government ministries and agencies.
“Tourism is a multi-sectoral industry. We work with the Ministry of Transport on accessibility, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services on Brand Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage on immigration and visas, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development on innovation, and the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development on community-based tourism and gastronomy.
“It is a whole-of-Government approach,” she said.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Tongai Mnangagwa said the stakeholder consultation marked an important step in crafting a strategy that would guide the sector from 2026 to 2030.
He said the strategy would be anchored on eight pillars, including cluster-based tourism development, destination accessibility, investment promotion, branding and digital transformation, human capital development, policy reforms, and sustainable community-based tourism.
“The goal of the National Tourism Sector Strategy is to provide a comprehensive framework for the sustainable growth, competitiveness and resilience of Zimbabwe’s tourism sector.
“The strategy aligns sector priorities with national development aspirations while responding to emerging global tourism trends, technological advancements, changing visitor expectations and sustainability imperatives,” he said.
Permanent Secretary Dr Takaruza Munyanyiwa said the workshop marked the beginning of nationwide consultations, with four additional provincial meetings planned to ensure broad stakeholder participation.
He urged participants to critically assess the sector’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to help formulate an evidence-based strategy capable of making tourism a major contributor to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic transformation by 2030.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Dr George Manyaya said the strategy would be supported by a detailed implementation plan outlining strategic interventions, institutional responsibilities, timelines, financing arrangements, key performance indicators and a monitoring and evaluation framework.
“The quality of the National Tourism Sector Strategy will ultimately be measured not only by the strength of its policy proposals, but also by our collective commitment to its implementation.
