According to data from Zimstat, Zimbabwe is experiencing a surge in tourist arrivals, driven largely by South African tourists, holidaymakers, and business travellers.
The number of arrivals increased by 83,2% from 211 054 in the first quarter of 2023 to 409 979 in 2024. Air traffic to the country increased by 171,6% year-on-year.
While the number of tourists has shown a significant increase, the number of travellers from South Africa has grown by around 35% YoY, up from 37 763 arrivals in the first quarter of 2023 to 50 662 in the same period of 2024.
The main reason tourists travelled to Zimbabwe in the last quarter was for a holiday. Business travel, however, showed a year-on-year increase of 204,7%.
“Visitors in transit rose by 47,6%, from 73 460 in 2023 to 108 852 in 2024, suggesting Zimbabwe’s strategic importance as a transit route in Southern Africa,” reads Zimstat’s report.
