By Conrad Mwanawashe
By February 28, every tourism-related business in the country must register with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) or face immediate closure.
Under Section 36 of the Tourism Act [Chapter 14:20], this isn’t just a recommendation—it is a statutory mandate.
Registration is far more than just ticking a regulatory box; it is a gateway to the formal economy and a stamp of credibility that builds trust with international travellers.
Government, in its ongoing efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business, has significantly reduced licence and registration fees across all categories, with the objective of fostering a competitive, compliant, and sustainable tourism sector.
This reduction is designed to transition operators into the formal economy.
Registration is a gateway to growth, offering operators a stamp of quality that builds essential trust with international travellers; inclusion in the ZTA’s official promotional efforts and the national tourism narrative and alignment with the ongoing shift toward professionalization and accountability.
The ZTA, supported by law enforcement organisations, is preparing for a rigorous nationwide inspection to identify and shutter non-compliant businesses.
The stakes have never been higher. The public is now being actively discouraged from using unregistered facilities and encouraged to report them.
In this environment, failing to register by the deadline is effectively hanging a “Closed” sign on your own front door.
