By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Domestic tourism in Zimbabwe increased significantly in the first half of 2026, with local visitor numbers rising to 6.4 million from five million during the corresponding period last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
The increase represents growth of about 28 percent and comes as Government pushes campaigns encouraging Zimbabweans to explore destinations within the country.
President Mnangagwa described the rise in domestic tourism as commendable and called for greater support for initiatives designed to encourage local travel.
He was speaking at the official opening of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo in Masvingo on Wednesday.
The President urged the tourism industry and other stakeholders to scale up support for the Nhaka Yedu/Ilifa Lethu Domestic Tourism Campaign, which seeks to encourage Zimbabweans at home and in the diaspora to experience the country’s tourism attractions.
He called on Zimbabweans to travel within the country with their families and friends, saying the country had a wide range of destinations that could be explored by local visitors.
The increase to 6.4 million visitors comes alongside broader growth in the tourism sector.
According to the President, tourism investment increased by 229 percent in the first half of 2026, reaching US$132.3 million compared with US$40.2 million during the same period in 2025.
President Mnangagwa said the growth of tourism was also having spillover effects on Zimbabwe’s creative and cultural industries, which contributed 8.8 percent to gross domestic product.
He said Zimbabwe’s tourism proposition should not be limited to its internationally recognised wildlife and Victoria Falls.
Instead, he highlighted the country’s history, culture, indigenous knowledge systems, music, cuisine, arts and heritage as key components of the tourism product.
The staging of the 2026 Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe Expo at the Great Zimbabwe Monuments was intended to reinforce that message by putting the country’s heritage at the centre of the tourism agenda.
The President also encouraged the diaspora to participate in domestic tourism, while urging tourism operators to develop innovative products and experiences that could attract more visitors.
For domestic tourism to continue growing, the expansion of tourism products beyond established destinations will be critical.
Masvingo, for example, has been challenged to develop attractions around Great Zimbabwe, Lake Mutirikwi, Tugwi-Mukosi, Manyuchi Dam and Gonarezhou, as well as cultural and liberation heritage sites.
President Mnangagwa said increased tourism should ultimately translate into jobs, empowerment opportunities, infrastructure development and improved quality of life for communities.
The latest domestic tourism figures suggest a growing appetite among Zimbabweans to explore their own country. The challenge for the industry will be to sustain that growth by making local tourism products accessible, affordable and attractive to an even wider section of the population.
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