Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo dates set

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has set 13 to 15 October as the dates for the 15th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo with physical attendance resuming this year.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic disruptions, the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo were held virtually with limited participants.

However, with the continuous easing of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, ZTA has said this year’s edition of the annual tourism trade fair resumes physical attendance.

“As ZTA we are very excited to be hosting the Sanganai/Hlanganani with the physical attendance format back into play from 13 to 15 October at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).

We are calling upon exhibitors from all facets of business to come, exhibit and showcase what they have at this year’s annual tourism trade fair,” said ZTA spokesperson Mr Godfrey Koti in an  interview.

He said so far, about 200 exhibitors have registered and they were looking forward to many more coming on board.

Mr Koti said they were expecting over 100 buyers from their source markets who include the United States of America (USA), Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) as well as other frontline source markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China and South  Korea.

“The interest has absolutely been outstanding to say the least from the international market, we have had to cut our numbers down and will be announcing the final number of buyers soon,” added Mr  Koti.

The ZTA spokesperson further called on residents from Bulawayo to embrace the event, with their businesses leading in the expo in terms of positioning, marketing and promoting their products and services. He said as the tourism sector they were very excited and grateful to the Government for the support that it continues to render for the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism  Expo.

“The status that they also have given to this event is very much amazing. We are thankful also to the Ministry of Health and Child Care for assisting us in terms of setting the parameters of protocol and guidelines of the Covid-19 pandemic as we are getting into this exhibition,” said Mr Koti.

The ZITF Company chief executive officer (CEO) Dr Nicholas Ndebele said the relationship between ZITF and ZTA has been long enduring as it is premised on an understanding that they have a vital role to play in promoting tourism and promoting brand Zimbabwe.

“This is why we regard this partnership to be very important in helping to co-create this platform called Sanganai/Hlanganani where various participants in the tourism sector would come to meet, network, engage and understand what are the pinpoints,” said Dr Ndebele.

He said this year’s edition comes in the wake of a long break which was occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic that did not spare the tourism sector and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry at large.

Dr Ndebele said they were excited about once more hosting tourism players in Bulawayo and their thrust was to up the game.

“We need to demonstrate that not only is domestic tourism growing but we also want to promote regional tourism as we believe that with the receding Covid-19 pandemic we will have more and more international tourists visiting the country.

“Sanganai/Hlanganani is a very important platform in sensitising the market about opportunities that exist. The tourism industry obviously has a target and a vision of attaining a US$5 billion industry by 2025 and we think that Sanganai/Hlanganani as a platform is also contributing to that vision,” he  said.