ZIMBABWE PITCHES TOURISM AND INVESTMENT PROPOSITION AT UN BUSINESS FORUM IN NEW YORK

Zimbabwe has taken its “Zimbabwe: A Friend to All and An Enemy to None” tourism and investment proposition to the global stage, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa presiding over the Zimbabwe Business Forum in New York on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81).

Held under the theme “Global Challenges. Zimbabwean Solutions. Shared Prosperity,” the forum brought together investors and business leaders to explore opportunities across Zimbabwe’s economy, with tourism occupying a prominent place in the discussions. President Mnangagwa used the platform to invite American travellers and investors to experience the country’s heritage, wildlife and cultural offerings, singling out Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park as flagship attractions.

Making the case for Zimbabwe as both a tourism destination and an investment opportunity, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr George Manyaya outlined the country’s capacity to deliver a complete visitor experience through what he termed the Six A’s of Tourism — Attractions, Accessibility, Accommodation, Amenities, Activities and Ancillary Services.

Dr Manyaya highlighted the Masuwe Special Economic Zone, a 1,200-hectare development earmarked for tourism and financial services, as a key project underpinning this ambition. He noted that a comprehensive feasibility study for bulk infrastructure at the site has been completed, alongside the cadastral survey for the zone’s first phase, covering 271.5 hectares — developments he pointed to as evidence of tangible progress toward shovel-ready investment opportunities.

He further underscored the strategic weight of the American market, describing the United States as Zimbabwe’s largest source of international tourists and a critical partner in growing visitor numbers and investment flows into the sector.

Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon Barbara Rwodzi also attended the forum, taking part in business-to-business engagements aimed at deepening tourism and investment linkages between Zimbabwe and American counterparts. These sessions offered a more direct avenue for prospective investors and industry players to explore partnerships beyond the forum’s formal proceedings.

The New York forum forms part of a broader push by Zimbabwean authorities to reposition the country on the global investment map, packaging its natural attractions, cultural heritage and emerging infrastructure projects as evidence that the country is, in the government’s words, “open for business.” With Victoria Falls and Hwange already established on the international tourism circuit, officials appear keen to leverage that recognition to draw attention — and capital — toward newer ventures such as the Masuwe Special Economic Zone, positioning tourism as both a visitor draw and an investment frontier in its own right.