Rwodzi urges US diaspora to invest in Zimbabwe tourism beyond hotels
Rwodzi urges US diaspora to invest in Zimbabwe tourism beyond hotels
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Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has urged Zimbabweans living in the United States to consider investing in a wider range of tourism-related businesses, saying the sector can offer quicker returns than some capital-heavy industries.
Rwodzi made the remarks in Atlanta, Georgia, while addressing the Zimbabwe Diaspora Tourism Investment Forum, where she described tourism as a “low-hanging fruit and high-impact investment sector” under the Second Republic’s “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” approach.
According to the organisers, the forum is part of Government efforts to strengthen diaspora engagement and accelerate tourism-led economic transformation under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (2026–2030).
Rwodzi told delegates that investment opportunities extend beyond hotel construction and include accommodation and conference facilities, rural tourism initiatives, cultural and heritage tourism linked to sites such as Great Zimbabwe and Khami Ruins, and gastronomy tourism centred on Zimbabwean cuisine.
She also cited renewable energy solutions for tourism facilities, waste management in tourism hubs, and community-based tourism as additional areas where investors can participate while supporting sustainability and local benefits.
“The tourism sector is a low-hanging fruit,” Rwodzi said. “It requires relatively shorter lead times to yield returns compared to other heavy industries, and it has a multiplier effect across agriculture, transport, and the arts.”
Presentations were also delivered by the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the Mosi-Oa-Tunya Development Company and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, focusing on investment processes and opportunities across the value chain, according to the event brief.
Rwodzi said improved air connectivity and the ministry’s Tourism Cluster Strategy were contributing to a more enabling environment for investors.
She acknowledged the role of the diaspora in supporting the economy through remittances, stating that the United States-based community contributes about 12% of Zimbabwe’s total remittance inflows. She encouraged Zimbabweans abroad to channel some remittances into productive investments.
“Diaspora remittances have remained a key pillar of economic resilience over the past three years,” Rwodzi said. “Imagine the transformative impact if we channel even a fraction of these funds into tourism infrastructure, hospitality training, and conservation projects.”
Delegates at the forum raised questions on regulatory frameworks, land tenure, financing options and repatriation of profits, reflecting issues commonly cited by diaspora investors seeking to invest back home.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United States, David Hamadziripi, welcomed participants and commended the minister for raising the profile of Destination Zimbabwe through tourism marketing efforts, organisers said.
Government representatives linked the forum to broader national policy goals under Vision 2030, Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, including devolution and rural industrialisation, with an emphasis on inclusive growth.
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