By Dave DeFusco
When most Americans think of Zimbabwe, one destination usually comes to mind: Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world. Zimbabwe, however, offers much more than a single attraction. It is home to wildlife, national parks, cultural heritage sites and historic landmarks that remain largely unknown to many international travelers. For Monalissa Zibwowa, a student in the Katz School’s M.S. in Digital Marketing and Media, this gap in awareness represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
At the 2026 Symposium on Science, Technology and Health, Zibwowa presented her research, “Beyond the Falls: Strategic Tourism Development for Profitable Youth Employment in Zimbabwe,” which examines how Zimbabwe can attract more visitors from the United States and use tourism growth to create jobs for young people.
“Tourism is one of Zimbabwe’s strongest opportunities for economic growth because it touches so many different industries,” said Zibwowa. “When more tourists visit, they create demand for hotels, transportation services, tour guides, restaurants, cultural experiences and many other businesses. That demand can translate into meaningful employment opportunities for young people.”
The issue is particularly important because Zimbabwe faces significant employment challenges. National unemployment is estimated at more than 20%, while unemployment among young people is even higher. Many young Zimbabweans are neither working nor enrolled in school or training programs.
At the same time, the United States is Zimbabwe’s largest source of international visitors. More than 109,000 American tourists visited the country in 2025. Yet despite this interest, Zimbabwe has struggled to convert traveler curiosity into larger numbers of visitors. Zibwowa’s research focused on understanding why.
“The study found that Zimbabwe’s problem is not a lack of demand,” she said. “Many American travelers are interested in the country’s wildlife, culture, history and natural attractions. The challenge is converting that interest into actual travel bookings.”
Using market research and tourism data, she identified several barriers that discourage potential visitors. These include concerns about safety, complicated visa processes, limited awareness of destinations beyond Victoria Falls and difficulties accessing digital booking options.
“More than 70% of travelers now plan and book trips online,” said Zibwowa, “however, Zimbabwe’s tourism marketing efforts still rely heavily on traditional travel agents and business-to-business familiarization tours. There is a disconnect between where travelers are making decisions and where marketing investments are being focused.”
The research also revealed that interest in Zimbabwe’s attractions tends to be interconnected. People who are interested in one destination often show interest in others as well.
“We found strong relationships between awareness of different historical and natural sites,” Zibwowa said. “That suggests there is an opportunity to market Zimbabwe as a complete destination rather than promoting individual attractions in isolation.”
Based on these findings, she proposed several strategies to improve tourism growth. These include strengthening Zimbabwe’s digital presence, simplifying electronic visa systems, improving online booking accessibility and creating marketing campaigns tailored to specific traveler interests. The goal is not simply to increase visitor numbers but to create economic opportunities for young people.
“If Zimbabwe can improve the conversion process from interest to visitation, tourism can become a scalable pathway for youth employment,” said Zibwowa. “Our analysis suggests that a single U.S. traveler may support between one and one-and-a-half local jobs annually through spending across tourism-related sectors.”
