Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has called for a resilient, inclusive and community-driven tourism sector, saying its success must be measured not merely by tourist arrivals but by its contribution to economic growth and the transformation of local livelihoods.
Addressing the Ministers’ Summit 2026 at the World Travel Market in London, today, held under the theme “Strengthening Tourism for a Resilient and Regenerative Future”, Rwodzi said tourism growth should deliver tangible socio-economic benefits to ordinary and marginalised Zimbabweans.
She said communities were custodians of the country’s rich cultural heritage and key players in the tourism value chain, making their meaningful participation and empowerment critical to the sector’s long-term sustainability.
Rwodzi said ensuring that communities benefited from tourism was central to improving livelihoods and advancing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision of attaining upper-middle-income economy status by 2030.
The Minister noted that tourism contributes about 10% of Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and had demonstrated its ability to sustain economic activity when other productive sectors faced challenges.
She cited 2024, when the global minerals price crisis affected mining while climate-related challenges weighed heavily on agriculture, but the tourism industry remained resilient.
Rwodzi also reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to climate-resilient tourism, welcoming the unveiling of the official logo for the 2027 International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism at the 23rd UN Tourism Meeting held in Victoria Falls in April this year.
She called for stronger international cooperation to address the effects of climate change and drought on wildlife, biodiversity and tourism infrastructure, highlighting the need for sustainable water management solutions.
The Minister said Government’s dam construction programme under President Mnangagwa was strengthening water security while supporting wildlife conservation and the sustainability of conservancies.
She reiterated Zimbabwe’s foreign policy principle of being “a friend to all and an enemy to none”, saying peace, stability and international cooperation were essential for tourism development.
Rwodzi also acknowledged First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, Patron of Tourism, for championing traditional cuisine and helping position Zimbabwe to host the inaugural UN Tourism Continental Gastronomy Conference.
She said Air Zimbabwe’s direct Harare-London service was enhancing international connectivity and providing opportunities to showcase Zimbabwean cuisine and cultural heritage to global markets.
Meanwhile, UN Tourism Secretary-General, Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, welcomed the Minister’s contribution, highlighting tourism intelligence, data sharing and standardised analytics as important tools for measuring the sector’s true economic and social impact across member states.
