Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe
Zimpapers Business Hub
TO safeguard its economy against global volatility, Zimbabwe should strategically target regional African markets and decrease its dependence on vulnerable overseas travel segments, according to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
This comes as the regional tourism market remained resilient amid the global geopolitical shocks.
Despite the geopolitical impact on global tourism, Zimbabwe’s travel industry recorded strong growth in the first quarter.
This comes as the First Quarter Tourism Performance Report released by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) showed that the sector recorded an 11 percent increase in international tourist arrivals to 384 515 in the first quarter of 2026, while tourism receipts rose by 14 percent to US$251 million.
Recent and ongoing geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global air travel have exposed the vulnerability of relying heavily on distant source markets.
The Iran conflict triggered route disruptions, rising fuel costs and reduced inbound tourism by 12 percent as of March 2026, with overseas markets bearing the biggest brunt of the global shock.
The report noted that while long-haul markets remain important due to their higher spending power, regional African tourism demonstrated greater stability during the period, cushioning 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 ZTA report says.
Charles Duri