Zim Now Writer
The country has recorded phenomenal growth of 165 percent in tourist arrivals and expects increased arrivals from around August, which marks the start of the tourist industry peak season.
This comes on the back of the global tourism industry recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) report notes that the country’s tourism sector was one of the hardest hit sectors by the global pandemic as authorities issued travel warnings and bans as well as lockdown restrictions to curb the pandemic.
“The first nine months of 2022 saw a 165 percent rise in tourist arrivals to 693 498 from 261 415 in 2021. This is more than double the international arrivals received in the first nine months of 2021 (164 062).
In this positive development, tourist arrivals from most overseas markets more than trebled over the review period. It should, however, be noted that this strong performance is measured against weak results in 2021 which was worst hit by Covid-19,” reads the report.
In terms of percentage increase, the Middle East region recorded a 591 percent rise with 2 528 tourists arriving in Zimbabwe compared to 366 in the same period last year.
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However, in terms of actual figures, Africa had the highest number of visitors to the country, with 432 837, followed by Europe (133 417), the Americas (72 874) and Asia (35 624).
“Tourism receipts are estimated to have risen to US$579 million from US$244,2 million in 2021, marking a 137 percent rise over the January-September period,” reads the report.
However, the overall arrivals have still not been able to reach pre-pandemic levels with arrivals for the first nine months being just 41 percent of 1 674 303 arrivals received during the same period in 2019.
President of the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe Wengai Nhau said the sector is expected to have the first post-Covid-19 festive season, which is expected to push arrivals up.
“This is the first festive after Covid-19 and we are now back to business and fully operational to capacity with minimal restrictions. We expect local domestic tourism to immensely contribute as families from the diaspora visit their relatives,” said Nhau.
Nhau added that all the country’s destinations are fully booked for the Christmas period for the first time in three years, adding that they expected 100 percent occupancy throughout the festive season.
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