Tourism surpasses mining and agriculture to become top contributor to Zimbabwe’s GDP

THE country’s tourism industry has surpassed agriculture and mining as the top contributors to the Gross Domestic Product after arrivals increased by over 80 percent in the first half of the year.

Speaking at the inaugural Scholastic Tourism Conference at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said the tourism sector contributes 12 percent to the GDP.

The conference is being held under the theme: “Leveraging Heritage Based Education 5.0 for the Development of Tourism and Hospitality in Zimbabwe” and is part of the ongoing Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo.

“Tourism is leading contribution to the GDP by 12 percent. We are proud and we aim to keep moving higher and be the biggest contributor. Over the years tourism has been ranked 3rd after agriculture and mining but in the first half of the year tourism is number 1 after an 83 percent increase in our arrivals. Our aim is to consolidate this achievement,” she said.

Minister Rwodzi said the sector is guided by the doctrine of heritage based tourism.

She said tourism endowments such as landscapes, food, culture, sports and others are a draw card to our tourism.

The minister said the tourism is cluster based and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions is one of them.

“We know that nothing beats heritage for the fact that it is what you are and is a pull factor in our tourism,” she said.