TOURISM POTENTIAL ‘MASSIVE’ IN ZIMBABWE, MASTERPLAN URGENTLY NEEDED

A new report by JLL and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has categorised Zimbabwe as a dawning “developer” in the global tourism market, highlighting the country’s significant potential.

The Tourism Readiness Index, developed in partnership with Africa’s Eden Tourism Association, groups Zimbabwe with regional peers Botswana, Namibia and Zambia as destinations with emerging infrastructure, gradual growth and major long-term development opportunities.

The report identifies Zimbabwe as a regional leader across the Scale, Concentration and Leisure pillars of the index.

This strength is underpinned by the country’s impressive natural and cultural heritage, which includes five UNESCO World Heritage sites, and the highest airline seat capacity among the four evaluated Southern African nations.

The data confirms the country’s strong foundation for attracting international leisure visitors.

Despite this advantage, the index reveals significant underperformance in two crucial areas: namely business readiness and policy prioritisation.

The country, the report notes, lacks a comprehensive tourism masterplan.

The report suggests this policy vacuum creates uncertainty for investors and hinders strategic, sustainable growth.

In contrast to Zambia, where business travel accounts for 63 percent of tourism spending, Zimbabwe’s poor showing indicates an underdeveloped sector for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) and corporate travel.

The findings for Zimbabwe are further highlighted when contrasted with Zambia’s performance. Zambia excels in Business and Urban Readiness, largely fuelled by its robust mining sector, making it the region’s primary destination for business-related travel.

However, Zambia faces its own set of quality challenges, with only 58 percent of its tourist attractions receiving 3+ ratings, the lowest score among the four countries. This suggests that while Zambia attracts corporate visitors, the quality of its leisure offerings may be lagging.

For Zimbabwe to fully transition from a “dawning developer” to a major player, the report implies that urgent focus must shift from solely marketing its natural wonders to enacting structural reforms.

Developing a clear, actionable tourism masterplan and aggressively improving the business climate are viewed as non-negotiable next steps to attract sustained foreign investment and diversify its tourism product beyond traditional wildlife safaris.

The index acts not as a simple ranking, but as a roadmap, emphasising the “delta”—the gap between what the destination currently offers and what it needs to service future visitors sustainably.

For Zimbabwe, closing the policy and business gap is key to unlocking its massive potential.

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