Investment into Zimbabwe’s tourism increased to US$142 Million last year from US$86 million recorded in 2020 according to information released from the cabinet meeting.
Notable investments included Palm River Hotel, Zambezi Boutique Guesthouse, and Nkosi Guest Lodge in Victoria Falls; Makhado in Beitbridge; the Beethoven Hotel in Harare and Hot Plate Grill restaurants opened throughout the country.
Conferencing facilities include the newly constructed 250 seater at Village Hotel in Gweru and another 3000 seater under construction in Mutoko.
Renovations and refurbishments were carried out at the Victoria Falls Rainbow, the Cresta Group of Hotels, the Victoria Falls Hotel and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) lodges in Nyanga, Vumba, and Chimanimani National Parks.
Investments into tourism increase at a time when the government put in place Tourism support facilities to ensure the recovery of the sector including the waiver of Value Added Tax on Domestic Tourism and Duty Exemption Facility.
A total of 117 applicants received tax rebates valued at US$11 301 721 in 2021, compared to the 81 applicants that received US$2 399 957 in 2020 for capital goods and specified motor vehicles.
The Government also paid ZW$198 million to support the operations of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, whose operations are normally funded by a 2% levy charged on services provided to both domestic and international tourists.
Tourism operators are now allowed to retain 100% of their foreign earnings.
Five more airlines that can be used by tourists are now in service in Zimbabwe including Qatar Airways which commenced flights to Zimbabwe on 1 August 2021.
MACK Air of Botswana started servicing the Kasane-Victoria Falls route on 1 May 2021.
Fast Jet has scheduled flights that connect Victoria Falls to Kruger National Park through Mpumalanga that were introduced in March 2022.
Falcon Air Safaris is servicing Hwange Airport and also Luftansa’s Eurowings will service the Frankfurt-Windhoek-Victoria Falls route commencing on 30 March 2022.
Zimbabwe, in 2021, also recorded increased domestic entries into National Parks to 251 088 from 173 714 in 2020.
