By Gideon Madzikatidze
MASVINGO – Government today declared tourism central to Vision 2030 and signaled a united front to attract investment, as the Tourism, Finance and Foreign Affairs Ministries used the Tourism Business Investment Forum at Gymkhana to pitch Zimbabwe as united, stable and firmly open for business.
Held on 10 September 2026 under the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo, the Forum brought together ministers, investors, and industry leaders to convert dialogue into bankable projects.
Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Barbara Rwodzi said the sector is key to achieving an upper-middle-income society, with Masvingo demonstrating the impact of devolution.
“This progress is not accidental. It is the deliberate outcome of Government-led vision, Vision 2030’s ambition of an upper-middle-income society. Tourism sits at the very heart of that vision,” Rwodzi said.
She described the timing as a defining moment, noting impressive growth in arrivals, receipts and investment inflows – that has earned Zimbabwe accolades from world-acclaimed publishing companies.
Minister Rwodzi said hosting the Forum in Masvingo was deliberate.
“We meet here in Masvingo, a province whose very name is inseparable from the story of our nationhood. It is here, at Great Zimbabwe… that reminds every investor in this room that Zimbabwe’s tourism offering is not merely about scenery, but about civilisation, heritage and enduring value,” she said.
Rwodzi added that Masvingo with Great Zimbabwe, Gonarezhou National Park, Lake Mutirikwi and the Tugwi-Mukosi dam stands as living proof of what devolved, locally-driven investment can achieve.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, representing Vice President Cde. Constantino Chiwenga, told investors government is de-risking tourism through policy and incentives.
“Each of these engagements has carried the same message that Zimbabwe is united, stable and firmly open for business,” Ncube said, referring to his recent economic diplomacy drive.
He said tourism is a key pillar of Vision 2030 and NDS2 and that the sector’s growth is the deliberate outcome of Government-led vision.
Prof. Ncube reaffirmed commitment to ease of doing business reforms for tourism operators. He also reaffirmed infrastructure development including roads, energy and aviation connectivity. Also investment incentives under NDS2 to unlock projects in tourism corridors was another reaffirmation.
“We meet at a table that has grown, year on year, from a regional showcase into one of Africa’s premier platforms for tourism trade and investment dialogue,” he said.
Rwodzi praised the Finance Minister’s role in charting a new course for the economy, one defined by openness, re-engagement and partnership with the world.
“It is this same collective, whole-of-government spirit that this Investment Forum embodies today,” she added.
Both ministers challenged the private sector to develop products in heritage, eco-tourism, MICE, culture and gastronomy to boost RevPAR, length of stay and FDI inflows ahead of the 2026/2027 season.
“Zimbabwe’s tourism offering is not merely about scenery, but about civilisation, heritage and enduring value,” delegates heard.
Industry players said the focus now shifts to aligning proposals with provincial masterplans in Masvingo, Matabeleland South and Manicaland.
As Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe continues at the backdrop of Great Zimbabwe, government’s message was unified, that is, selling Zimbabwe’s story and back it with investment-ready infrastructure.