Zimbabwe steps up global tourism drive

Zimbabwe is intensifying efforts to attract more international tourists by deploying additional tourism attaches in key source markets, as increased airline capacity raises expectations of sustained growth in the tourism sector.

Deputy Tourism Minister Tongai Mnangagwa said government was stepping up international marketing efforts, with tourism attaches expected to play a key role in promoting Zimbabwe and stimulating demand in overseas markets.

The strategy comes as both Air Zimbabwe and privately owned fastjet Zimbabwe have expanded their fleet capacity, improving the country's ability to handle growing passenger numbers.

Zimbabwe recorded about 1,8 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, up from 1,6 million in 2024, while tourism receipts reached approximately US$1,3 billion, according to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.

Authorities are now looking to build on that growth by increasing the country's visibility in international markets and ensuring airlines have sufficient passenger demand to sustain their expanded operations.

"We are going to double up on our efforts with all the source markets to get more people out there," Mnangagwa told the Zimbabwe Independent while aboard a fastjet Zimbabwe Airbus A320 recently introduced to meet peak-season demand.

He said government would deploy tourism attaches to promote Zimbabwe and help develop new source markets.

"We will be sending attaches to make sure people come and visit. We will make sure the planes will be full. We will also do our part to invite more people to the country and open up new markets," he said.

Mnangagwa said the expansion of airline capacity presented an opportunity to strengthen connections between Zimbabwe and international destinations.

He pointed to Air Zimbabwe's relaunch of the Harare-London route, saying fastjet could play a complementary role by connecting passengers from regional destinations through Harare.

"Fastjet can feed into that. Fastjet will bring the passengers to Harare, onto the plane to London, then they are handed over back to fastjet for flights across the region," he said.

The expansion of Zimbabwe's aviation sector is expected to improve connectivity and increase the number of seats available on domestic, regional and international routes.

Air Zimbabwe recently added an Airbus A330 to its fleet, enabling the national carrier to resume long-haul operations after years of limited capacity.

The wide-body aircraft provides significantly greater passenger and cargo capacity than the aircraft previously used by the airline and is expected to support the Harare-London service while creating opportunities for additional intercontinental routes as Air Zimbabwe rebuilds its network.

Fastjet Zimbabwe has meanwhile introduced an Airbus A320 alongside its existing Embraer regional aircraft.

The larger aircraft provides substantially greater seating capacity and is expected to help the airline respond to increased demand during peak travel periods.

Industry players believe fastjet's expanded regional network could complement Air Zimbabwe's long-haul operations by feeding passengers from destinations such as Bulawayo and Victoria Falls into Harare for onward international connections.

The development could strengthen Harare's position as a regional aviation hub while making it easier for international visitors to connect with Zimbabwe's major tourism destinations.

With tourism arrivals already rising and aviation capacity expanding, government is betting that more aggressive international marketing will help convert increased air connectivity into higher visitor numbers, longer stays and greater tourism revenue.