Air Zimbabwe Opens New Route as Masvingo Targets Tourism, Trade Growth

AIR Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) have launched a new Harare-Masvingo air service, a move expected to improve connectivity to the southern province and support the movement of tourists, business travellers and international buyers.

The new route was introduced ahead of the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, which begins in Masvingo next week, with the airline also operating flights linking Masvingo and Victoria Falls.

The development comes as Zimbabwe seeks to use improved air connectivity to expand tourism, attract investment and facilitate business between the country’s major economic and tourism centres.

The inaugural Harare-Masvingo flight carried 44 passengers, demonstrating immediate demand for air connectivity between the capital and the country’s oldest city.

Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi said the new connections were helping drive increased movement around Sanganai, with nearly 140 international buyers expected to attend the tourism expo.

The buyers form part of hundreds of international delegates, exhibitors and tourism operators expected to participate in the event, creating opportunities for local businesses to engage directly with foreign markets.

The new airbridge is particularly significant for Masvingo, which hosts major tourism assets including the Great Zimbabwe Monument but has traditionally relied heavily on road transport to connect with Harare and other destinations.

Improved air access could reduce travel times for investors, tourists and business executives while making it easier for tourism operators in the province to access international markets.

Air Zimbabwe’s partnership with ZTA also provides a platform for linking domestic aviation with the country’s tourism development strategy.

The airline has been working with the tourism authority to facilitate travel for international buyers and exhibitors, while connecting Masvingo with Victoria Falls creates an additional link between two of the country’s major tourism destinations.

For the aviation sector, the route could also provide an opportunity to assess whether there is sufficient demand to sustain regular commercial services beyond the tourism expo.

The government has indicated that the feasibility of retaining the Harare-Masvingo service will be assessed after the event.

The Airports Company of Zimbabwe is meanwhile working on the refurbishment and upgrading of Masvingo Airport, developments that could strengthen the city’s capacity to handle increased passenger and business traffic.

A permanent route would have implications beyond tourism.

Regular air services could support business travel, investment missions and the movement of high-value, time-sensitive goods, while improved connectivity could make Masvingo more attractive to investors seeking opportunities in tourism, agriculture, mining and services.

The development also comes as Zimbabwe pushes to diversify tourism products and spread economic activity beyond traditional centres such as Harare and Victoria Falls.

For local tourism businesses, the immediate opportunity is to convert increased passenger traffic into longer stays, higher visitor spending and new commercial partnerships.

The success of the Masvingo route will ultimately depend on whether demand can be sustained after Sanganai, but the launch provides a test case for using domestic aviation to strengthen links between provincial economies and international markets.

With the tourism expo bringing hundreds of international buyers into the country, the Harare-Masvingo-Victoria Falls connection is effectively putting aviation at the centre of Zimbabwe’s efforts to improve tourism access while creating new channels for trade and investment.