Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera has called for the adoption of artificial intelligence in Zimbabwe’s tourism statistics system to enable authorities and businesses to make faster, evidence-based decisions.
Speaking at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Scholastic Tourism Conference in Masvingo yesterday, Minister Mavetera said AI could transform tourism data from delayed statistical reports into a real-time planning tool capable of predicting visitor trends and identifying emerging markets.
She said Zimbabwe could use artificial intelligence to track visitor flows, forecast demand, monitor occupancy levels and generate market intelligence to support investment and destination planning.
“Tourism does not sit outside government’s digital agenda, it sits inside it,” Mavetera said, noting that her ministry was responsible for coordinating ICT matters across government.
The minister said Zimbabwe’s growing digital infrastructure provided a foundation for the tourism industry to embrace advanced technologies.
She cited internet penetration of 85.5 percent, mobile penetration of 104.4 percent, more than 70 000 kilometres of fibre backbone and 252 5G base stations as indicators of the country’s expanding digital capacity.
Mavetera said artificial intelligence could also help address gaps in tourism statistics by analysing information from sources that are traditionally difficult to capture, including informal tourism activity.
Predictive analytics, she said, could estimate tourism activity using indicators such as mobile-money transactions, while computer vision could assist with automated visitor counts at national parks, borders and heritage sites.
Natural language processing could also turn feedback from tourists, online reviews and border questionnaires into structured data for policymakers.
“AI changes the timeline from data that describes what happened, to data that anticipates what happens next,” she said.
Mavetera said the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026–2030 already identifies tourism among sectors where AI can be applied, including through AI visitor guides, demand forecasting and smart destination management.
She called on the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to appoint AI focal points and begin pilot projects, including AI-assisted visitor forecasting and modernisation of the Tourism Satellite Account.
The minister also urged tourism authorities to work with her ministry and the AI Strategy Implementation Office to improve data readiness, strengthen digital skills and establish appropriate governance mechanisms.
Zimbabwe’s National AI Strategy was launched in March and seeks to promote responsible, inclusive and sovereign use of artificial intelligence across the economy.
