Zimbabwe to host three UN Tourism meetings in Victoria Falls from 27 April

Zimbabwe to host three UN Tourism meetings in Victoria Falls from 27 April
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Zimbabwe is set to host three high-level United Nations Tourism meetings at Elephant Hills Resort in Victoria Falls from 27 April to 1 May, with Government saying the programme reflects growing confidence in the country’s role in global tourism governance.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda announced the development after a Cabinet meeting, saying Cabinet had received and approved a report on the hosting arrangements presented by the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

The meetings are the 23rd United Nations Tourism Committee on Tourism and Sustainability, a Committee-linked pilot capacity-building workshop being hosted in preparation for the International Year of Resilient and Sustainable Tourism 2027, and the 2nd United Nations Tourism Regional Congress on Women Empowerment in Tourism in Africa.

In his Cabinet update, Dr Soda said holding the events back-to-back is expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s profile in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE tourism). He said the participation of global tourism leaders, policymakers, development partners, sustainability experts and academia would also reinforce Zimbabwe’s stated commitment to sustainable and resilient tourism through alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

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Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said Zimbabwe was ready to host the meetings, citing the country’s track record of staging major international events, particularly in Victoria Falls and Harare. “We are more than prepared… Victoria Falls has become a brand for Africa in hosting MICE tourism… it’s a strategy that we are deliberately bidding for these events to come to our country so that we address the softer issues, diplomatic issues, through tourism,” she said.

Minister Rwodzi said the UN’s decision to hold the meetings in Zimbabwe should be seen as an endorsement of the destination and an indication of political and diplomatic confidence.

The Cabinet briefing also referenced recent tourism performance figures cited in a Government ministry report released in September, which said Zimbabwe recorded over 1.6 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, generated US$1.2 billion in receipts and attracted US$190.5 million in investments. Government expects the figures to increase in 2026.

Tourism developments in Victoria Falls have knock-on effects across the country, including Mashonaland Central, where local enterprises, farms and cultural sites often supply goods and services to the wider hospitality value chain, while domestic travel also supports businesses in towns such as Bindura, Mazowe, Shamva and Mount Darwin.

The April meetings are being positioned by Government as part of the lead-up to Zimbabwe’s hosting of the International Year of Resilient and Sustainable Tourism in 2027.

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