Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube (pic by Lovejoy Mutongwiza)
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA in MASVINGO
Zimbabwe’s tourism receipts increased by six percent to US$537 million in the first half of 2026, while the sector attracted approximately US$132 million in investment during the same period, highlighting its growing contribution to the economy.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube, said the increase in tourism receipts from US$508 million recorded during the first half of 2025 demonstrated that the sector was generating more economic value as it recovered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Minister Ncube revealed this at Gymkhana Events and Conference in Masvingo today (Thursday) during the Tourism Investment Forum where he represented Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
“More importantly, tourism receipts increased by 6 percent, from US$508 million during the first half of 2025 to US$537 million in the first half of 2026.
“This is a significant development which demonstrates that the recovery is not only reflected in the number of tourists entering the country, but also in the amount of economic value being generated from tourism,” said Minister Ncube.
Ncube said tourism had become a strategic pillar of Zimbabwe’s economic transformation and was important to the attainment of Vision 2030.
The sector recorded at least 792 000 tourist arrivals, both domestic and international, during the first half of 2026, further reflecting its recovery and growth.
Ncube said tourism had also attracted more than US$1 billion in investments during the National Development Strategy 2021-2025 period, with the momentum continuing into 2026.
Tourism investment increased from approximately US$190.5 million in 2024 to US$194.5 million in 2025, while approximately US$132 million was recorded in the first half of 2026.
“In the first quarter of 2026, tourism investment increased by an extraordinary 438 percent,” Ncube said.
Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi (pic by Lovejoy Mutongwiza)
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Barbara Rwodzi, said the growth in arrivals, receipts and investment inflows demonstrated the progress being made in the sector.
“This Forum comes at a defining moment. Zimbabwe’s tourism sector has continued to record impressive growth in arrivals, receipts, and investment inflows,” Rwodzi said.
She said the progress was a result of Government’s vision under Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income society.
“Tourism sits at the very heart of that vision, and Masvingo with Great Zimbabwe, Gonarezhou National Park, Lake Mutirikwi, and the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam stands as living proof of what devolved, locally-driven investment can achieve,” Rwodzi said.
Ncube said the latest figures were a sign of growing investor confidence in Zimbabwe, with tourism increasingly being viewed not only as a destination business but also as an investment opportunity.
He said approximately US$500 million worth of hotel infrastructure projects were currently at various stages of development and were expected to be completed by 2030.
Global hospitality brands, including Accor, Grand Hyatt, Four Seasons, Radisson Blu and Hilton, are also expanding their presence and investment footprint in Zimbabwe.
The Government is also targeting increased accommodation capacity, particularly in Harare, where thousands of hotel rooms are either under construction, at tender or financial-closure stage, or in the greenfield project pipeline.
Ncube said the growing demand for accommodation, conferencing, transport, entertainment and other tourism services presented opportunities for investors.
“Tourism is no longer simply about hotels, game drives and sightseeing. Tourism today is technology, infrastructure, real estate, aviation, finance, entertainment, culture, creativity,” he said.
He said the sector created linkages with agriculture, transport, construction, ICT, finance, culture and the creative industries.
Rwodzi said Masvingo was well placed to benefit from tourism growth, with its major attractions providing opportunities for locally driven investment.
