Zimbabwe recorded a 14% rise in visitors during the second quarter of 2024, fueled by an uptick in both leisure and business travel, according to new data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat).
In a recent briefing, ZimStat’s demographic analysis manager, Perfect Makumbe, revealed that 1.08 million arrivals were recorded between April and June. Of these, 56% were returning residents, while 35.1% were international visitors.
Tourism played a key role, with 414,878 holiday tourists visiting Zimbabwe during the quarter, marking a 14% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Business travel surged by 109.1%, and shopping-related travel grew by 78.6%.
“The increase in holiday visitors reflects growing confidence in Zimbabwe’s tourism sector,” Makumbe said, noting that the recovery of business and leisure travel is essential for Zimbabwe’s post-pandemic tourism rebound.
The report highlighted that 55.4% of visitors were from African countries, with South Africa contributing 17.3%, Mozambique 11.6%, and the United States 10.7% of all arrivals.
Road transport was the dominant entry method, with 69% of visitors traveling by road and 30.1% by air. Beitbridge was the busiest border post, handling 24.1% of the 286,414 road travelers. Among the 128,397 air travelers, 62% passed through Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport, reinforcing its role as the country’s main gateway.
