3,28 (%) in 2019.

Travel and tourism contributed approximately four percent to Zimbabwe's GDP in 2021. Compared to 2020, the contribution of tourism to the economy of Zimbabwe experienced a slight increase. This was due to the closure of the travel sector for five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Looking at the domestic and international spending in the travel sector, the total expenditure decreased from nearly one billion U.S. dollars in 2019 to 880 million U.S. dollars in 2021.

Employment in the tourism industry

A total shutdown of the tourism sector for nearly half a year had a severe impact on the employment within the industry and led to the loss of many jobs. In 2020, there were approximately 147 thousand jobs in the travel and tourism sector of Zimbabwe, which is a decrease of about 18 percent compared to 2019. However, despite this significant decline, the industry held roughly 2.5 percent of the total employment in the country.

Most tourists came from Africa

 The most common origin of tourists that visited Zimbabwe in 2021 came from the African continent. 16 percent of the visitors came from Malawi , whereas Namibia and Zambia had a share of 15 percent of the total international tourists each. Mozambique and the United States completed the ranking with 12 percent and five percent, respectively.

Seychelles had the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa as of 2024. The value amounted to 21,630 U.S. dollars. Mauritius followed with around 12,330 U.S. dollars, whereas Gabon registered 8,840 U.S. dollars. GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population, meaning that some of the largest economies are not ranked within the leading ten. Impact of COVID-19 on North Africa’s GDP When looking at the GDP growth rate in Africa in 2024, Libya had the largest estimated growth in Northern Africa, a value of 7.8 percent compared to the previous year. Niger and Senegal were at the top of the list with rates of 10.4 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on the economy was severe. The growth of the North African real GDP was estimated at minus 1.1 percent in 2020. However, estimations for 2022 looked much brighter, as it was set that the region would see a GDP growth of six percent, compared to four percent in 2021.
Contribution of Tourism Various countries in Africa are dependent on tourism, contributing to the economy. In 2023, travel and tourism were estimated to contribute 182.6 billion U.S. dollars, a clear increase from 96.5 in 2020 following COVID-19. As of 2024, South Africa, Mauritius, and Egypt led tourism in the continent according to the Travel & Tourism Development Index.

The inflation rate in Namibia decreased by about one percentage point from 4.29 percent in 2018 to 3.72 percent in 2019. It is projected to remain around 4.5 percent through 2030, significantly lower than the 2002 peak of 12.72 percent. Namibia’s historical context Prior to 1990, Namibia was under apartheid South Africa control, and before World War I, the country was a German colony and even suffered a genocide. Given this turbulent oppression, it is expected that social and economic residual ramifications would follow. Namibia’s inflation rate went through a volatile period during the 1990’s and early 2000’s where it reached around twelve percent several times. Over the past decade, Namibia’s inflation rate has largely declined. Namibia’s successful growth Similarly, Namibia’s gross domestic product (GDP) remained under five billion U.S. dollars through the 1990’s. Since then, the country’s GDP has grown to about 14 billion U.S. dollars as of 2019 and will continue to grow through the upcoming years. Namibia’s increasing economic success is in part linked to developing its services industry. Today, the services sector is responsible for employing about 60 percent of the country’s working population. A well-developed services industry is usually a sign of a similarly well-developed economy. The services sector includes the growing tourist industry with an expanding focus on ecotourism, centered around the country’s endangered wildlife.

Namibia NA: BOP: Current Account: Imports: Service: Travel: % of Service Imports data was reported at 10.219 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.996 % for 2016. Namibia NA: BOP: Current Account: Imports: Service: Travel: % of Service Imports data is updated yearly, averaging 16.356 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36.553 % in 2003 and a record low of 5.078 % in 2010. Namibia NA: BOP: Current Account: Imports: Service: Travel: % of Service Imports data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Namibia – Table NA.World Bank: Balance of Payments: Current Account. Travel covers goods and services acquired from an economy by travelers for their own use during visits of less than one year in that economy for either business or personal purposes. Travel includes local transport (i.e., transport within the economy being visited and provided by a resident of that economy), but excludes international transport (which is included in passenger transport. Travel also excludes goods for resale, which are included in general merchandise.; ; International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files.; Weighted Average; Note: Data are based on the sixth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6) and are only available from 2005 onwards.

Namibia NA: BOP: Current Account: Exports: Service: Travel: % of Service Exports data was reported at 35.217 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 48.366 % for 2016. Namibia NA: BOP: Current Account: Exports: Service: Travel: % of Service Exports data is updated yearly, averaging 72.525 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 88.150 % in 1995 and a record low of 32.665 % in 2011. Namibia NA: BOP: Current Account: Exports: Service: Travel: % of Service Exports data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Namibia – Table NA.World Bank: Balance of Payments: Current Account. Travel covers goods and services acquired from an economy by travelers for their own use during visits of less than one year in that economy for either business or personal purposes. Travel includes local transport (i.e., transport within the economy being visited and provided by a resident of that economy), but excludes international transport (which is included in passenger transport. Travel also excludes goods for resale, which are included in general merchandise.; ; International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files.; Weighted Average; Note: Data are based on the sixth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6) and are only available from 2005 onwards.