Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to attract investment from its diaspora into tourism, as the country looks to turn billions of dollars sent home each year into longer-term business and development opportunities.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has urged Zimbabweans living abroad to consider investing in accommodation, conference facilities, rural tourism and other parts of the tourism economy.
The call formed part of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Tourism Investment Forum held in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. The event follows a similar engagement in Australia earlier this month as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen economic links with citizens living abroad.
The government believes diaspora capital could support the next phase of tourism growth at a time when international arrivals and tourism receipts are recovering.
Zimbabwe has long benefited from money sent home by citizens working abroad. These remittances support household expenses, education, healthcare and other everyday needs.
The government now wants a greater share of that financial relationship to move towards productive investment.
At the Atlanta forum, Rwodzi encouraged Zimbabweans abroad to consider tourism businesses that could generate income, create employment and contribute to local economic development.
The US-based Zimbabwean community accounts for about 12% of the country’s diaspora remittance inflows, according to information presented at the forum.
“The diaspora remains a strategic partner in national development and plays a critical role in helping Zimbabwe attain upper-middle-income economy status by 2030,” Rwodzi said.
The approach does not seek to diminish the importance of remittances to families. Instead, authorities are trying to create additional channels through which diaspora Zimbabweans can invest in businesses and assets at home.
Traditional hotels and lodges form only part of the investment opportunity being presented to the diaspora. The government has identified conference infrastructure, cultural and heritage tourism, rural tourism and gastronomy as potential growth areas. Community-based tourism also forms part of the strategy.
Other opportunities include renewable energy and waste management projects that support tourism facilities and destinations. This broader approach reflects Zimbabwe’s attempt to diversify tourism beyond established destinations and conventional safari products.
Victoria Falls remains the country’s best-known international attraction, while Hwange National Park is an important wildlife destination. However, Zimbabwe also has significant tourism potential around Great Zimbabwe, Mana Pools, Matobo National Park and the Eastern Highlands.
Greater investment outside the major tourism centres could help spread visitor spending to communities that have traditionally received a smaller share of the sector’s economic benefits.
The diaspora investment campaign comes as Zimbabwe’s tourism industry records continued growth. International tourist arrivals increased by 11% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 384,561 compared with 347,555 during the same period last year.
Tourism receipts rose by 14% to US$251 million from US$221 million. Domestic tourism also recorded significant growth. The number of local trips increased to an estimated 2.62 million from 1.94 million during the comparable period.
Investment in the tourism sector reached US$67.8 million during the first quarter, although part of the increase reflected the formal registration of previously unregistered tourism facilities.
The figures point to a recovering sector, but one where further investment could increase accommodation capacity and broaden the range of tourism products available.
Zimbabwe’s improving international air connectivity could strengthen the case for further tourism investment. Air Zimbabwe recently restored direct services between Harare and London after more than 14 years away from the UK market. The service reconnects Zimbabwe with one of its largest diaspora communities and an important international tourism market. Improved connectivity matters because tourism investment depends partly on how easily visitors can reach a destination.
New accommodation and attractions have limited commercial value if international travellers face expensive or complicated journeys to reach them. The government believes stronger air connections, alongside its tourism cluster strategy, can help attract both visitors and investors.
Interest alone, however, will not determine whether the diaspora investment strategy succeeds. Participants at the Atlanta forum sought more information about available projects and opportunities across the tourism value chain.
Representatives from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Mosi-Oa-Tunya Development Company also participated in the forum.
Their involvement reflects the wider challenge facing the initiative. Potential investors need clear information on regulations, investment structures, financing, incentives and how they can move capital into viable projects. For diaspora investors, confidence in the investment environment will be as important as emotional connections to Zimbabwe.
The ability to identify commercially sustainable projects, navigate regulatory requirements and protect investments will ultimately influence how much diaspora money moves from remittances into businesses. One of the more significant elements of the strategy is its emphasis on community and rural tourism.
Zimbabwe’s major attractions already draw international visitors, but tourism activity remains unevenly distributed.
Investment in cultural experiences, gastronomy, heritage sites and community-owned tourism businesses could create opportunities beyond established hotel and safari operations. It could also allow communities to benefit directly from local heritage, landscapes and cultural assets.
For this to work, investment would need to support infrastructure, skills development and market access alongside individual tourism projects. The potential is significant because tourism creates demand across several sectors. Visitors spend money on accommodation, food, transport, entertainment, retail and local experiences. That means a successful tourism investment can support businesses beyond the property or attraction itself. Zimbabwe’s diaspora has already become an important part of the country’s economy through the money it sends home.
The government’s latest push asks a different question: whether some of that financial power can now help build businesses and productive assets.
Tourism offers one possible route. The sector is already recording higher visitor numbers and receipts, while improved international connectivity could make Zimbabwe more accessible to overseas travellers.
But converting diaspora interest into investment will require more than investment forums. Zimbabwe will need credible projects, predictable regulations and clear routes for investors to participate. It will also need to demonstrate that diaspora capital can generate sustainable commercial returns. If those conditions develop, the diaspora could play a larger role not only in supporting households but also in financing the country’s tourism economy.
That would represent an important shift for Zimbabwe, from relying primarily on money sent home for consumption towards creating opportunities for citizens abroad to participate directly in the country’s economic growth.
