By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
NEW YORK — Zimbabwe has stepped up efforts to attract more American travellers and tourism investors, presenting its diverse tourism assets and investment opportunities at the Zimbabwe Business Forum held in New York on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The forum, held under the theme “Global Challenges. Zimbabwean Solutions.
Shared Prosperity,” provided Zimbabwe with a platform to position tourism as a key component of its broader investment proposition and to strengthen links with the American market.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa invited American travellers and investors to experience Zimbabwe’s natural, cultural and heritage attractions, placing particular emphasis on Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park.
The outreach comes as Zimbabwe seeks to deepen engagement with the United States, which the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) identified as the country’s largest international tourist source market.
Presenting Zimbabwe’s tourism proposition, ZTA Chief Executive Officer Dr George Manyaya said the destination had the capacity to offer visitors a complete tourism experience built around what he described as the Six A’s of Tourism — Attractions, Accessibility, Accommodation, Amenities, Activities and Ancillary Services.
The approach positions Zimbabwe’s tourism sector as more than a collection of individual attractions, highlighting the wider ecosystem required to support international visitors and tourism-related investment.
Zimbabwe’s globally recognised attractions remain central to the country’s marketing proposition.
Victoria Falls, one of the country’s flagship tourism destinations, offers a major draw for international visitors, while Hwange National Park provides access to Zimbabwe’s wildlife and safari experiences.
The country’s heritage and cultural offerings add another dimension to the destination’s appeal.
For the American market, the New York engagement also placed emphasis on the investment opportunities that can support the continued expansion of Zimbabwe’s tourism industry.
One of the projects highlighted was the Masuwe Special Economic Zone, a 1,200-hectare development designated for tourism and financial services in the Victoria Falls area.
According to Dr Manyaya, a comprehensive feasibility study for bulk infrastructure has been completed, while a cadastral survey for the first 271.5-hectare phase has also been completed.
The project forms part of Zimbabwe’s broader effort to create opportunities for investment around its major tourism destinations and strengthen the infrastructure underpinning the visitor economy.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi also participated in the New York engagements, including business-to-business meetings aimed at strengthening tourism and investment linkages with the American market.
The B2B engagements provide a commercial dimension to Zimbabwe’s destination marketing campaign, bringing tourism promotion together with efforts to identify potential investment and business partnerships.
For Zimbabwe, the focus on the US market is significant given its position as the country’s largest international tourism source market, making American travellers an important audience for destination promotion.
The New York forum therefore served a dual purpose: encouraging Americans to visit Zimbabwe while presenting opportunities for businesses and investors interested in the country’s tourism sector.
Zimbabwe’s pitch comes as the country seeks to communicate its tourism proposition on the global stage under the broader “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” message.
The strategy places the country’s wildlife, landscapes, heritage and culture alongside investment opportunities designed to expand tourism infrastructure and services.
With Victoria Falls and Hwange among the destinations highlighted by the President, Zimbabwe is seeking to translate international recognition of its attractions into increased visitor interest and deeper investment engagement.
The New York engagement signals an effort to make that proposition more targeted — taking Zimbabwe’s tourism message directly to one of its key international markets while inviting both travellers and investors to participate in the country’s tourism growth story.
About Author
