ZIMBABWE TOURISM EXPLORES CNN MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Zimbabwe is exploring a strategic media partnership with CNN aimed at amplifying the country’s tourism narrative on the global stage, as the Zimbabwean delegation continues its engagements on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York.

The delegation, led by President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, is using the UNGA platform to advance the national agenda of branding and positioning Zimbabwe under the country’s National Development Strategy 2, according to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).

As part of this push, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon Barbara Rwodzi and ZTA Chief Executive Officer Dr George Manyaya held discussions with senior CNN executives, including Phil Wilson, Vice President of CNN International, CNN Sales Director Zara Driss, and Regional Representative for Africa and Central Asia Imran Ahmad. The engagement focused on exploring a media partnership designed to strengthen Zimbabwe’s presence in international travel conversations and connect the destination with new tourists, markets and investors.

According to the ZTA, the opportunity extends beyond conventional tourism promotion, positioning Zimbabwe as an investment destination as well. Officials say a CNN partnership would allow the country to showcase investment opportunities across its tourism value chain to a global audience, leveraging the network’s extensive international reach to connect with millions of potential tourists and investors across key markets.

The push comes on the back of significant recognition for Zimbabwe’s tourism sector, with Forbes Magazine naming the country its Number One Must-Visit Destination for 2025. The United States, meanwhile, remains Zimbabwe’s leading overseas source market, with tourist arrivals from the country rising sharply from 18,756 in 2021 to 109,959 in 2025, according to figures cited by the ZTA.

Officials describe the strategic imperative now as converting this growing global recognition into tangible outcomes, including increased tourist arrivals, longer stays, higher tourism spending, and greater investment inflows into the sector.

Zimbabwe’s tourism offering spans a wide range of attractions, from iconic natural wonders and wildlife to heritage, culture, gastronomy and adventure tourism, an offering officials believe positions the country well for the kind of international exposure a CNN partnership could provide.

The engagement in New York forms part of a broader pattern of tourism diplomacy accompanying the presidential delegation’s participation in UNGA81, with Zimbabwean officials using the gathering of world leaders and international media as an opportunity to pursue partnerships that extend the country’s visibility well beyond the summit itself.

As discussions with CNN continue, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has framed the moment as a chance to translate accumulated global recognition into measurable tourism and investment growth, summarising its position simply: “Zimbabwe has the story.”