By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
MASVINGO — Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has placed the revival of Air Zimbabwe at the centre of the country’s tourism investment drive, arguing that a robust national carrier is essential to connecting Zimbabwe’s world-class attractions with the growing pool of international investors and visitors.
Delivering the keynote address at the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbabwe World Tourism Investment Forum at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre in Masvingo on Thursday, Ncube said the tourism sector’s remarkable recovery — marked by a 6% increase in receipts to US$537 million in the first half of 2026 — must be supported by reliable air connectivity.
“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, underscoring aviation’s critical role in the sector’s value chain.
The Minister’s remarks come as Zimbabwe’s tourism investment pipeline swells, with approximately US$500 million worth of hotel infrastructure projects under development and global brands such as Accor, Grand Hyatt, Four Seasons, Radisson Blu and Hilton expanding their footprint in the country.
Prof Ncube noted that Harare currently has 2,593 hotel rooms under construction, with an additional 2,402 at tender or financial-closure stage and 2,000 more in greenfield projects — a pipeline that could push the capital’s inventory from 11,854 to 18,849 rooms, nearing the 20,000 required to host major international events like IATF 2029.
“The gap is therefore not a problem; it is an investment opportunity,” he said.
The Finance Minister highlighted that international tourist arrivals rose 6.1% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the first, while domestic tourism trips surged 27% to 6.4 million in the first half of the year.
Tourism investment jumped by an extraordinary 438% in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
He pointed to the 1,200-hectare Masuwe Special Economic Zone in Victoria Falls and the Tokwe-Mukosi area in Masvingo as flagship integrated tourism investment platforms capable of attracting significant capital.
“The question should no longer simply be, ‘How do we attract tourists to Tugwi-Mukosi?’ but rather, ‘How do we build an investment destination around Tugwi-Mukosi?'” Ncube said.
He called on pension funds, banks, development finance institutions and international investors to mobilise “patient, long-term capital” for tourism projects, citing Eagle Asset Management’s efforts to fund the proposed 111-key Novotel Hotel valued at approximately US$33 million as an example of innovative capital mobilisation.
Ncube emphasised that Government alone cannot drive the sector’s growth, urging project promoters to strengthen financial models and investment promotion institutions to connect credible projects with credible capital.
“Our message is clear: Zimbabwe is open for business, and Zimbabwe is open for tourism investment,” he declared.
The Minister said the success of the forum would be measured not by speeches but by “investments secured, projects financed, hotels and lodges built, businesses established, jobs created, tourists welcomed and communities transformed.”
He called on stakeholders to move “from potential to projects, from projects to investment, from investment to businesses, and from businesses to jobs and sustainable economic growth.”
“Let this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo be the moment when Zimbabwe’s tourism investment story moves from promise to performance,” Prof Ncube concluded.
About Author
