Zimbabwe’s tourism ministry is on a drive to register small lodges, households, restaurants and other eateries, in an effort to offer home stays and eateries for international tourists to choose from when visiting the country.

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Prisca Mupfumira, said: "We are in the process of registering all these small accommodation facilities online – the SMEs – to ensure that, at a punch of a button, there is a home away from the hotel.”

The concept will operate on a similar business model to Airbnb, and will be managed by The Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG), which already has 50 homestays on its RTG Gateway application, and is targeting 500 home owners by the end of the year.

"We are working on that concept, registering each and every one – the lodges in particular. We are even going on an SMS campaign to find out where a lodge is, then we will register them and facilitate a revolving fund to help them craft a quality product. This will then offer tourists coming to Zimbabwe an alternative to the hotels – a home-away-from-hotel. It's a work in progress," said Mupfumira.

The online product is expected to be completed by July, with the aim of developing cheaper accommodation for tourists, who currently have hotels, backpackers, lodges, homestays, vacation rentals, caravanning and camping, and bed and breakfast establishments to choose from.

Accommodation in Zimbabwe’s key tourist destinations, including Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Kariba, Gonarezhou National Park, Eastern Highlands, Great Zimbabwe, and Nyanga, can be expensive compared with local and regional offerings, which Zimbabwe Council for Tourism President, Tich Hwingwiri, puts down to high rates and tariffs.

"… the issue of rates and how pricey they are is an issue that requires some serious dialogue because it is an input cost issue, so I think at the end of the day there are a lot of other costs that come into it which hoteliers also put as the point of argument. That is why it is an input cost and we need everyone to play their part to ensure the end product becomes affordable," said Hwingwiri.