AIRBNB OWNERS ORDERED TO REGISTER, OR FACE CLOSURE

OPERATORS of Airbnb, the majority of whom have been operating without compliance, have been given until February 28 to register with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) or face consequences. The ultimatum has also been given all unregistered tourism facilities and related businesses. Nationwide inspections and a compliance blitz will start from March 1.

The registration requirement covers a wide range of operators, including accommodation providers, Airbnb hosts, restaurants, fast-food outlets, vehicle-hire businesses, visitor attractions (such as game parks and art galleries) and providers of visitor activities. The authority urged operators to comply with the law, noting that the government has already reduced licence and registration fees across categories to improve the ease of doing business and to foster a competitive, compliant and sustainable tourism sector. Despite these reductions, some operators remain reluctant to register.

In a statement, the ZTA, which is now under a new CEO George Manyaya, said that beginning on March 1, in conjunction with law enforcement agents, it will take action against non-compliant operators. “In terms of Section 36 of the Tourism Act (Chapter 14:20), the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) hereby notifies all tourism related businesses (designated tourist facilities) that registration with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is mandatory and a statutory requirement,” the authority said. “Failure to register will result in the closure of unregistered facilities.

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“To enforce compliance, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, in collaboration with law-enforcement agencies, will conduct nationwide inspections across all ten provinces to verify registration status, ensure adherence to regulatory standards and take enforcement action against all non-compliant operators. “The public is strongly discouraged from utilising unregistered tourism facilities and is encouraged to report any facility operating without a valid registration to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. “The deadline for registration is February 28 2026.” In November 2025, the Government implemented a major reduction in tourism and hotel licensing fees for 2025–2026, cutting costs by up to 50 per cent or more. Hotel registration fees were slashed in some cases from as high as US$250,000 to a maximum of US$20,000.

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