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Zimbabwe is officially reopening borders for international tourism on October 1st

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.

Zimbabwe airport reopens with new covid protocols

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.

Hwange National Park reopens for tourism in Zimbabwe
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

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.  

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.

Victoria Falls Reopen in Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls Reopen in Zimbabwe

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.

Harare Central Park
Harare Central Park

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?

Unknown. Zimbabwe has not yet published a list of approved countries, nor a ‘traffic light’ system, which may suggest they will be open to all nations with testing. We will update if more news becomes available on this.

Zimbabwe opens for tourism
Welcome sign at Zimbabwe border with Zambia

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.”

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

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

Buildings in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe
Buildings in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe

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. 

Sources: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority / herald.co.zw / bulawayo24 / Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting /

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.

↓ Join the community ↓

The Travel Off Path Community FB group has all the latest reopening news, conversations, and Q&A's happening daily! 

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