By Jonathan Mbiriyamceka
MASVINGO – Zimbabwe must move beyond growing tourist numbers and invest in climate-smart infrastructure, conservation and community-based tourism if the country is to build a resilient tourism industry ahead of the United Nations’ International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism in 2027, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mangagwa has said.
Addressing the Sanganai/Hlanganani/ Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo Awards Ceremony in Masvingo on Friday, Dr Mnangagwa wgose speech was read by Tourism and Hospitality Industry Miniter Barbara RwodI, said the country needed to ensure that tourism growth did not come at the expense of its natural resources, wildlife and communities.
“Tourism development must preserve our natural heritage, protect our pristine wildlife and nature, safeguard our authentic cultural identity and create meaningful opportunities for our local communities,” she said.
For Zimbabwe, the issue is particularly significant because much of the country’s tourism offering depends on climate-sensitive natural assets, including wildlife, water bodies, forests and landscapes.
Research on Zimbabwe’s nature-based tourism sector has identified above-average warming and more frequent droughts as major threats.
A separate study focusing on Kariba found that increasing drought and extreme temperatures pose risks to biodiversity and water levels in Lake Kariba, potentially undermining tourism activities and the attractiveness of the resort town.
Another recent study on climate resilience in Zimbabwe’s tourism sector identified drought, habitat disruption, water and food scarcity, human-wildlife conflict, species loss and wildlife movement as interconnected threats.
Zimbabwe is not starting from scratch.
The country’s National Climate Change Response Strategy already identifies tourism as a sector requiring greater resilience to climate change.
The challenge now is implementation.
Dr Mnangagwa said the tourism industry should use the momentum surrounding the 2027 international year to strengthen responsible business practices and build a sector capable of withstanding future shocks.
“I implore all stakeholders, to continue investing in climate-smart tourism infrastructure, promote conservation initiatives, empower local communities as key beneficiaries of tourism and encourage responsible business practices across the industry,” she said.
Zimbabwe has also sought to position itself at the centre of the international sustainable-tourism agenda.
In April 2026, Victoria Falls hosted the 23rd meeting of the UN Tourism Committee on Sustainable.
The UN resolution establishing the international year emphasises sustainable consumption and production across the tourism value chain, conservation of environmentally vulnerable areas, biodiversity
For Zimbabwe, the focus on resilience comes as the government seeks to expand tourism’s contribution to economic development under its Vision 2030 agenda.
Dr Mnangagwa said tourism remained an important pillar of the economy, contributing to employment creation, foreign-currency generation, infrastructure development and community empowerment.
She linked the sector’s growth to the government’s ambition of achieving an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
But climate resilience could become an increasingly important test of that ambition.
A tourism sector dependent on wildlife water, favourable weather and functioning ecosystems is inherently exposed to climate shocks. Drought can affect water availability and wildlife, while extreme heat and changing weather patterns can alter tourist activities and increase operating costs for tourism businesses.
The UN’s 2027 initiative provides
Zimbabwe with an opportunity to turn those risks into a policy agenda centred on adaptation, conservation and investment.
The First Lady also called for stronger collaboration between Government, the private sector, communities and development partners to unlock investment, diversify tourism products and develop skills.
She said Zimbabwe should continue marketing itself as a destination known for its landscapes, wildlife, history, culture and hospitality while ensuring those assets are protected for future generations.
The key question for the sector, however, will be whether the call for climate-smart tourism can translate into measurable investments and programmes before 2027 – from water and energy efficiency in hotels and lodges to resilient infrastructure, conservation financing and stronger economic benefits for communities livina alonaside tourism assets.
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