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Zimbabwe officially reopened borders for international tourism on October 1, 2020.
The government of Zimbabwe held a cabinet meeting on September 8 and made the decision to reopen international airports and resume inbound tourism on October 1, 2020.
Sept 19 – The Vice President of Zimbabwe toured airports to see their reopening plans. Credit: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority
Domestic flights within the country have already resumed as of September 10th, jump-starting local tourism a few weeks early.
The Zimbabwean government declared the COVID-19 crisis a “national disaster” on March 27 and began a nationwide lockdown on March 30 that lasted for months. The closures have resulted in a devastating blow to the local economy, seeing as they had just reached an all-time high of 2.6 million tourists in 2018.
With Zimbabwe’s goal of having tourism equate to some $5 billion dollars by 2025, they are very eager to restart tourism as quickly, yet as safely, as they can.
Post Cabinet Briefing. 08 September 2020 https://t.co/hXt240a8Yf
— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) September 8, 2020
Tourism Reopening info at 5 mins 30 sec
Below we will go over all the information currently available about Zimbabwe’s reopening for tourism, including entry requirements, countries permitted to visit, and all other travel rules you’ll need to know about.
Zimbabwe’s Entry Requirements
Zimbabwe’s Reopening Date:
October 1, 2020
PCR Testing
Required.
All arrivals, regardless if they are nationals returning home or foreign tourists, will need to bring a negative PCR test with them, taken no longer than 48 hours before the time of flight departure.
Quarantine
Not Mandatory.
Quarantine’s for arrivals after October 1st are not mandatory if the above PCR test requirement has been fulfilled.
Any arrival that does not fulfill the PCR test requirement will be subject to quarantine for 14-21 days.
Which countries can visit Zimbabwe?
All.
Masks in Zimbabwe
Required.
The government made wearing a mask in all public spaces a legal requirement on May 4
What’s Open in Zimbabwe
Many tourist attractions and facilities have already reopened in Zimbabwe.
In a recent press statement by Hon. N.M Ndhlovu, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality, stated that he was “pleased to announce that following cabinet approval, all tourism activities can now resume operations.”
Catch up on the full statement by Minister of @METHI_Zimbabwe Honorable @nqo_nn as cabinet reopens the #ZimbabweTourism sector, https://t.co/sMPcoXOnku#RestartTourism #TravelLocal #ZimTourismRecovery@CarlJoshuaNcube @PTChimusoro @Zimparks @EMAeep pic.twitter.com/h0xXV5Q4pJ
— Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (@ZtaUpdates) September 4, 2020
Some examples of things that are open in Zimbabwe include:
- Game drives and safaris
- Bungee jumping
- Zip lining
- Helicopter rides
- Lion walks
- Elephant rides
- Boat operations on lakes for leisure and fishing
- Other registered tourism activities
Also open in the nation:
- Restaurants and cafes
- Many hotels and accommodations
- Markets and shops
OUR PARKS ARE NOW OPEN!!! Visit us for the best adventurous holiday experience.#daretotravel#everydayisaholiday#inharmonywithnature#knowyourparks#zimparks@FarawoTinashe @ZtaUpdates @tourismzimbabwe @BeautifulZim pic.twitter.com/hpSyasU9lA
— Zimparks (@Zimparks) September 17, 2020
Flights to Zimbabwe
Truth be told, Zimbabwe doesn’t have the best connectivity in Africa, but many people transit through South Africa in order to enter Zimbabwe, which has many more direct flight options.
Airlines will slowly start resuming their normal flight schedules after October 1st
Zimbabwe’s reopening comes with a trend starting in the region. South Africa also just announced their reopening for October 1st and Zambia already reopened back in July. While Zimbabwe’s other neighbors, Botswana and Mozambique are not yet open for tourism, they are expected to soon follow as more African nations gear to reopen safely.
Read More: See all countries in Africa that have reopened for tourism, which nations in the world are open with NO restrictions, and what companies offer travel insurance that covers covid.
Disclaimer: Zimbabwe’s reopening news is ever-changing and being updated constantly. We do our best to keep this article up to date with all the latest information, but the decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling.
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Originally published September 21, 2020 with updates
Victor
Monday 1st of February 2021
Those borders between Zambia and Zimbabwe are open?
Allen
Sunday 27th of September 2020
Does this mean land travel through Beit Bridge border post will also be open?
Lowie
Friday 25th of September 2020
thank u for the info how about travelling certificate is it required as well in Zimbabwe and if yes how do you get it?
S.B.
Tuesday 22nd of September 2020
I read Namibia has opened as well, just a few days ago. Would love more details, and thanks for posting about Zimbabwe too. Africa is expensive but I hear beautiful and on many peoples' bucket lists.
Kashlee Kucheran
Tuesday 22nd of September 2020
We have a link to our Namibia guide in the last paragraph of this article ;)