Rwodzi appointed UN Tourism Vice President

Zimbabwe's Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi, has been appointed Vice President of the General Assembly of the United Nations Tourism (UN Tourism), representing the Regional Commission for Africa alongside Nigeria.

The appointment was announced on Sunday during the official opening of the high-level segment of the 26th Session of the UN Tourism General Assembly held in Saudi Arabia.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, the new role provides Zimbabwe with a strategic platform to advance Africa's tourism agenda, promote sustainability, and contribute to shaping the future of global tourism policy.

"This appointment places Zimbabwe at the heart of global tourism diplomacy and enhances our capacity to promote the African tourism narrative on the world stage," the ministry said.

Ahead of the General Assembly, Zimbabwe also participated in the 21st Meeting of the UN Tourism Committee on Tourism and Sustainability (CTS), where member states discussed current priorities and future programmes under the global sustainability agenda.

During the meeting, Minister Rwodzi highlighted Zimbabwe's commitment to mainstreaming sustainability across the tourism value chain, aligning with Vision 2030, the country's long-term development strategy led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

"She emphasised that these initiatives are firmly anchored on Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy through sustainable growth, environmental stewardship, and inclusive participation in national development," the ministry said.

Rwodzi also presented Zimbabwe's Gastronomy Tourism Initiative, a programme spearheaded by the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, who serves as the Patron of Tourism.

The initiative celebrates Zimbabwe's rich culinary heritage while promoting cultural exchange and empowering women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalised communities through community-based tourism projects.

Implemented in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the four pilot Community-Based Tourism (CBT) projects have already made strides in supporting local livelihoods and sustainable tourism development.

The Committee commended Zimbabwe's efforts and welcomed the country's offer to host the 23rd Session of the Committee on Tourism and Sustainability (CTS) in April 2026, which will run back-to-back with the 2nd UN Tourism Women in Tourism Congress.

The ministry said hosting the two high-level global events would reaffirm Zimbabwe's commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism growth, while strengthening its position as a premier Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination.