Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi has said major hotels in Bulawayo were fully booked for the year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, a development key to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Province.
The prestigious three-day event held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre (ZIEC) which is on its 17th edition kicked off on Thursday under the theme, “Tourism and Peace” and the official opening and awards ceremony will be held on Friday.
The expo is a collaboration between the Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) seeking to showcase the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products and attract international visitors and media from across the world.
This year, the expo attracted 408 companies and eight countries bringing operators from their countries, these are (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Embassy of Iran, Angola and Nigeria).
Speaking at the inaugural Scholastic Tourism Conference 2024 held as part of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, the Minister said it was pleasing to note that major hotels were fully booked.
“Just this gathering that we have for Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo for the next three days is Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, it has brought people to Bulawayo and it’s going to grow the economy of the city.
“I was very happy this morning when l was briefed that all hotels in Bulawayo are full. All that we aim for is the tourism and hospitality industry, as a Ministry is to ensure that all hotels are full, who is occupying them is not our business to know, what are they doing in the hotels we do not care, tourism knows no scene, we just want money in our hotels,” she said.
Zimbabwe has adopted several strategies to tap into the huge business potential from MICE tourism, taking advantage of the vast tourism attractions dotted around the country to become a leading business and world leisure destination.
In a previous interview, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) second vice-president and chairperson of the Bulawayo Chapter, Mr Kudzai Ratisai said they were optimistic about the Expo’s potential to boost the tourism sector.
He said: “From a HAZ perspective, there is a strong emphasis on maintaining high standards of service and safety. Members are being encouraged to implement best practices in health and safety protocols to ensure the well-being of guests and staff alike. This includes rigorous cleaning measures, staff training and adherence to any regulatory guidelines that may be in place.”
Mr Ratisai said the surge in bookings not only highlights the appeal of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo but also signals a positive recovery trajectory for the hospitality industry in Bulawayo.
Last week, Bulawayo Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Judith Ncube told Sunday News Business, that the province was excited to host delegates from different parts of the country and other countries.
She said the event also played a key role in boosting the province’s economy.
“The Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo is one of the major events hosted in Bulawayo together with the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), Mining, Engineering and Transport (Mine Entra) exhibition and Africa Infrastructure and Built Environment Confex (AfriConfex) among others.
We are happy to be welcoming visitors into the city from different parts of Zimbabwe and other countries,” she said.
