Online ReporterJoseph Madzimure-Zimpapers Politics Hub
ZIMBABWE is experiencing a significant rise in international tourist arrivals, a development that Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi credits to the Government’s efforts to enhance the ease of doing business.
Under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, these improvements have made the country more attractive to global travellers, boosting the tourism sector and its contribution to the economy.
In an interview on the sidelines of a lecture at the Zimbabwe National Defence University yesterday, Minister Rwodzi said: “We are experiencing a remarkable surge in international tourists entering our country.
“By June, more than a million visitors had arrived at Victoria Falls alone.”
Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi, delivers a public lecture at Zimbabwe National Defence University (ZNDU) in Harare yesterday: -Picture Memory Mangombe.
Minister Rwodzi highlighted the need to leverage the nation’s prime attraction.
Victoria Falls serves as the main drawcard for visitors, she added.
“We must prioritise promoting Victoria Falls and then package it with other destinations. This approach indicates that Zimbabwe is performing well in tourism,” she stated.
According to the global travel platform, Kayak, Zimbabwe and Morocco have been named among the world’s top travel destinations for 2025.
Minister Rwodzi said Zimbabwe has been ranked the number one destination to visit in Africa while Morocco is ranked sixth, which means those who “do those researches are seeing something about our destination, so this is all that is attributing to our contribution to the GDP”.
President Mnangagwa’s initiative to enhance the ease of doing business environment remains central to his vision for achieving an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
The separation of the Ministry of Tourism from the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, was deliberately done to promote domestic tourism, which generates significant income through Government and private sector conferences and workshops.
However, Minister Rwodzi said they still face challenges in terms of pricing and accessibility.
“To address these, we launched the Sanganai initiative, which improves accessibility and offers tourists various travel options to Manicaland via road, rail or air,” she said.
“We appreciate the President’s support for these efforts. Domestic tourism is flourishing as well as international tourism.”
