Online Reporter
Business Reporter
Zimbabwe must pivot its tourism strategy away from high-volume traveler numbers and focus more on creating direct economic value for local communities if it is to sustain its current global acclaim, leading industry expert has said.
Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOAZ) président Dr Emmanuel Fundira, noted that Community-Based Tourism (CBT) represents the nation’s greatest untapped economic frontier to achieve inclusive growth, biodiversity conservation and cultural preservation.
The strategy comes at a time when Zimbabwe is riding a massive wave of international interest, heavily backed by its recognition as a premier “must-visit” global destination in Forbes’ global travel rankings.
According to Dr Fundira, shifting the investment focus towards a community – driven model ensures that tourism aligns with the national development directive of “leaving no one and no place behind.”
He pointed to the recently reformed Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) model as an operational template for success.
“When communities have true ownership of tourism resources, they are fundamentally more likely to conserve wildlife while simultaneously lifting their own household livelihoods,” Dr Fundira said.
To systematically scale community tourism nationwide, Dr Fundira is advocating for a comprehensive approach built on four structural pillars.
To anchor the expansion, Dr Fundira is pushing for a National CBT Policy Framework that legally secures community land-use rights, guarantees local ownership and enforces transparent revenue-sharing mechanisms between government bodies, private operators and residents.
The strategy heavily prioritises targeted capacity building, focusing on training rural populations in essential hospitality, guiding, financial management and digital marketing skills to position local youth and women as active entrepreneurs.
Concurrently, Dr Fundira emphasizes the need for an infrastructure transformation to support remote hubs by upgrading rural roads and expanding access to high-speed internet, clean energy and sustainable water systems.
Finally, Dr Fundira advocates for product diversification to expand Zimbabwe’s tourism portfolio beyond traditional big-game safaris into cultural villages, heritage sites, bird-watching, agro-tourism and community.
