Zimbabwe stepped up its push to market itself as a destination to Australian audiences this week, as the Zimbabwe Australia Roadshow 2026 in Melbourne drew more than 40 tour wholesalers, operators and travel agencies together to build partnerships and open up fresh business opportunities in tourism.
Speaking to delegates, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi called tourism a central pillar of Zimbabwe’s economic transformation, its drive to attract investment and its broader sustainable development agenda under Vision 2030. She pointed to Australia as a strategic, high-value source market, noting that Zimbabwe welcomed 33,000 Australian visitors in 2024 and 27,347 in 2025, figures that point to room for the country to grow its market share further.
Rwodzi said Zimbabwe’s heritage-driven approach to tourism, paired with its policy of re-engagement, positions the sector as a form of soft diplomacy, guided by the belief that Zimbabwe stands as a friend to all nations and an enemy to none.
She presented the breadth of what the country offers visitors, from Victoria Falls and its wildlife experiences to its cultural heritage sites and the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area’s UniVisa, which allows travellers to move seamlessly across several countries within the Southern African Development Community. The minister also spoke of government spending on road and air transport infrastructure aimed at making the country easier to reach and improving the overall experience for visitors.
Rwodzi extended an invitation to Australian trade partners to take part in the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, set for September 9 to 12, 2026, part of a wider effort to grow tourism trade, attract investment and promote the destination internationally.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency J.T. Mhishi, restated the country’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties through tourism, in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” policy.
The minister went on to address the Zimbabwe Diaspora Investment and Business Opportunities Forum in Sydney, where she urged Zimbabweans based in Australia to direct remittances toward tourism ventures that could generate jobs and support local value chains.
Among the forum’s notable moments was the naming of thirteen-year-old Langdentity School pupil Leah Rose Nyoni as Zimbabwe’s 2026 Junior Tourism Ambassador in Australia, an honour that followed her submission of an award-winning Zimbabwe travel itinerary. Rwodzi additionally gave her approval to the annual “My Roots, My Pride Tour,” an initiative to be coordinated by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority that aims to reconnect Zimbabwean children growing up in Australia with their heritage while encouraging future visits to the country.
