The Government of Zimbabwe says it will proactively engage both local and international investors interested in constructing convention centres as part of efforts to promote Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.
MICE is one of Zimbabwe’s high-potential tourism segments that remains underutilised, largely due to a shortage of modern convention centres and sufficient accommodation facilities.
Currently, major events are mainly hosted at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds, Harare Agricultural Showgrounds, Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) and Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls. This concentration has limited tourism growth in other parts of the country that also boast strong tourism attractions.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube highlighted this challenge in his proposed 2026 national budget.
‘’Investment in tourism infrastructure is a catalyst for the sector’s development. Currently, the country faces significant gaps in essential tourism infrastructure, such as convention centres and national parks, as well as accommodation facilities.
‘’Developing infrastructure that supports Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) presents a low hanging opportunity to accelerate growth within the tourism industry.
‘’In this regard, government in 2026 will proactively engage both domestic and international investors interested in various hospitality sector opportunities. Efforts will be made to explore granting prescribed asset status to construction of convention centres which enables the country to host mega conference events,’’ he said.
The Finance Minister added that ‘’in addition, promotion of tourism investment through foreign direct investment and public-private partnerships (PPPs) is anticipated to significantly contribute to the development of tourism Special Economic Zones, exemplified by projects such as the Masuwe Project in Victoria Falls.
He also highlighted that the Government will prioritise strengthening evidence-based policymaking and strategic planning within the tourism sector through enhanced statistical data collection and analysis.
He said central to this effort will be the review and operationalisation of the Tourism Satellite Accounting System (TSA), an important framework for measuring the size and contribution of the sector to the economy.
‘’To further support this initiative, Government will implement the Tourism Industry Management System (TIMS), facilitating online registration of tourism operators and integration with the Online Border Management System (OBMS), thereby improving real-time data accuracy and accessibility.
‘’In addition, government will also conduct the Development of Tourism Surveys (DOTs) and Visitor Exit Surveys (VES) to enhance the TSA data.’’
