Recently, Zimbabwe hit some big goals within the tourism industry, that few people anticipated a few years ago. Last year, the teapot-shaped country in Southern Africa recorded more than 1.6 million international visitors. Read on to find out what’s going on.

The Top Destination Is Part Of The Success

The numbers increased over 2024 and actually pushed the revenue target of US$5 billion much faster than expected. Some nice hotels and improved flight access to the country helped that happen, but a huge boost also came along. In October last year, we reported that Forbes named the country of Zimbabwe as the top destination in the world.

Since then, according to The Zimbabwe Situation, the country “emerged as a top destination for Indian tourists, thanks to a wave of exclusive travel packages offered by tour operators.”

Obviously, that’s important given that the Indian market grows exponentially. Apparently, the Ministry of Tourism spent a lot of time at the Outbound Travel Market in South Asia, and it definitely paid off.

Notably, their approach seemed to be aimed at convincing a ton of operators to come up with customized trips focusing on wildlife and culture. That, of course, means that instead of everyone rushing to Victoria Falls, other places come into the picture.

‘Open For Business’

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa repeatedly assured the world that the country is “open for business,” and clearly, folks take that seriously. Actually, his response to Tucker Carlson trying to get him to comment on Venezuela and foreign policy was also followed by his assertion about uplifting the nation.

And, that’s very evident when it comes to tourism and apparently, mining investment, per the current Mining Indaba in South Africa. Plus, we previously noted that the Zimbabwe government made a good call back in the COVID days.

Good Decision-Making In The COVID Years

They opened borders to travelers earlier than other countries like Australia or Thailand, giving them a chance to welcome more international visitors hungry for getaways after years of lockdowns.

Personally, I think it’s very cool to see the vibrant little country, which, interestingly enough doesn’t bring a seaside experience, get so much attention.

An Interveiw With A Minister

CNBC’s video titled “Focus on Tourism in Zimbabwe” last month also mentioned that Barbara Rwodzi, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry talked about the president’s policies.

She told the outlet, “it’s our president’s strategy that [he] … has put in place in order for him to achieve his goal for [an] upper middle income economy…by 2030.” She also added, “The tourism department or the tourism ministry recognize that we are there to serve the country.”

Recently, another part of the strategy emerged. Where, once upon a time, only subsistence farmers worked the land, now, agriculture improves. And, some of those folks also bought into expanding into tourism. These days, a number of successful culture-based destinations exist where none did in years gone by.

What are your thoughts? Will you put Zimbabwe on your itinerary in the near future? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your travel news and updates.