Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honorable Barbara Rwodzi was appointed as the new Minister of Tourism in September 2023.She has since made great strides to motivate a culture of travelling locally among Zimbabweans. Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality through the destination promotion agency, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority launched the Domestic Tourism Festive Season Campaign. The Ministry and ZTA will leverage on this period to promote local tourism. The campaign started on the 1st of November 2023 and is expected to end on 15 January in 2024. This campaign aims to promote local tourism and inculcate a culture of travel amongst locals. The campaign will also unlock the growth and potential of local businesses and boost the tourism economy.

The tourism sector which is normally dominated by the elite has seen a lot of participation from domestic tourist since the launch of this campaign who are harnessing immensely from the low hanging fruit through community-based tourism and small run businesses among other value chains within the industry. Zimbabwe has a wide range of attractions and activities which appeal to the both the domestic and international market. As part of efforts to boost domestic tourism, it is therefore vital for locals and the Diaspora to consider Zimbabwe as a destination of choice.

Rich in history and heritage, beautiful landscape wildlife and other products, there is huge potential for the different domestic market segments including families, couples, friends and relatives and churches to partake and enjoy Zimbabwe’s tourism product offering this festive season.  Enjoyment could come in various forms including taking daily excursions visiting various attractions, participating in different tourism activities, eating out, enjoying local cuisine, participating in relaxation and recreation activities, visiting friends and relatives in different parts of the country, and spending at least one night at different accommodation facilities in different parts of the country, resorts and park estates.

First lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, who is also our tourism patron introduced Amai’s traditional cook out competition in 2020. The programme has since gained popularity, culminating in a first of its kind regional traditional gastronomy tourism festival following its successful implementation. The first lady initiative sets a platform for the growth of gastronomy tourism where people visit countries to sample exotic cuisine. The dynamism of the tourism sector , minister and patron emanates from the drive to ensure that vision 2030 is achieved.