ZIMBABWE Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief operations officer Givemore Chidzidzi says preparations for the country’s premier tourism fair Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo are on course and that everything that is needed is also now in place.
Sanganai/Hlanganani which is held annually in Bulawayo at the majestic Zimbabwe International Trade Fair is scheduled for the 12th to the 14th of September.
Giving an update on the expo’s preparations, Chidzidzi said “the preparations for Sanganai/Hlanganani are on course we can say we are ready to roll everything that we need to make it happen is in place and we are at an advanced stage.
“Sanganai this year will be held yet again in Bulawayo as per our pledge that the event is going to be in Bulawayo.
“So everything is ready we are expecting our first visitors to come into the country at the beginning of September because for us Sanganai/Hlanganani is no just a 3 day event from the 12 to the 14thbut is starts with buyers arriving for pre-Sanganai tours and we have some that remain for post Sanganai tours,” he said.
According to preliminary statistics from ZTA, about 150 international buyers have confirmed their participation at this year’s edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani.
The tourism expo is critical for Zimbabwe’s tourism sector which has been identified as one of the key pillars for the country’s economic revival efforts together with agriculture and mining.
Tourism is currently the country’s low hanging fruit with quick wins in terms of attracting investors as well as generating the scarce foreign currency.
As a way of confirming its importance to the economy, the tourism sector saw various tourist delegations visiting the country mainly from China for both tourism purposes and business exploration under the Touchroad International Holdings deal.
Through tourism efforts, Harare will also be having additional rooms courtesy of Touchroad International Holdings plans to convert Charter House into a 5-star hotel, while various other projects are earmarked for Victoria Falls.
According to ZTA, all first-time exhibitors will enjoy a 50% discount in terms of exhibition rates and the same favour will also be enjoyed by Zimbabwe Women in Tourism members.
