By Dickson Bandera
Domestic tourism in Zimbabwe increased significantly during the first half of 2026, with local travel rising to 6.4 million visitors from five million recorded during the same period last year.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa commened Zimbabweans for the increase during the official opening of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo in Masvingo on Wednesday.
“Zimbabweans are commended for the increase in domestic tourism from 5 million visitors in the first half of 2025 to 6.4 million,” president Mnangagwa said.
The Government is promoting domestic travel through campaigns such as ZimBho and the newer Nhaka Yedu/Ilifa Lethu/Our Heritage campaign.
The President urged the tourism industry to scale up support for the Nhaka Yedu/Ilifa Lethu Domestic Tourism Campaign and called on Zimbabweans at home and in the diaspora to travel locally.
Nhaka Yedu/Ilifa Lethu Domestic Tourism Campaign focuses strongly on culture, heritage, food, music and national identity.
The president said increased domestic tourism should allow citizens to experience the country’s diverse attractions while supporting businesses operating throughout the tourism value chain.
Domestic tourism also creates business opportunities for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, tour guides, musicians, artists, cultural performers, craftspeople and local communities. The Government’s Tourism Master Plan specifically emphasises strengthening these local tourism value chains and linkages with creative industries.
The President said the growth of tourism was also benefiting Zimbabwe’s creative and cultural industries, which he said contributed 8.8 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
He identified music, cuisine, arts, culture, indigenous knowledge and heritage as important components of Zimbabwe’s tourism offering.
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe’s tourism potential extended beyond its internationally recognised wildlife and Victoria Falls, with heritage attractions such as the Great Zimbabwe Monuments playing an increasingly important role.
The 2026 tourism expo was deliberately anchored around the heritage site and branded Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe, placing Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage at the centre of the tourism agenda.
The President also urged Masvingo to develop a tourism corridor linking major attractions including Great Zimbabwe, Lake Mutirikwi, Tugwi Mukosi, Manyuchi Dam and Gonarezhou.
He said such development should involve communities and a broad range of stakeholders while creating investment and employment opportunities.
“District by district, you have the obligation to help in the realisation of set provincial GDP growth targets,” Mnangagwa said.
He said the ultimate objective should be to turn tourism growth into tangible improvements in the quality of life for local communities.
