The Sunday Mail
THIS year’s chapter of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, which will be hosted under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has been redesigned in order to give more attention to business exchanges in order to suit the needs of the market and to align with the changing needs of a dynamic tourism sector.
ZTA spokesperson Mr Sugar Chagonda said last week that 80 international buyers had confirmed their participation at this year’s expo, which starts on Thursday and ends on Saturday.
“We are actually satisfied with the preparations and we highly commend our exhibitors because they have been working flat out to make sure that they prepare themselves for Sanganai.
“In terms of buyers coming from beyond the borders, they start arriving this weekend and obviously that is an indication that Sanganai is now here and we need to up our efforts. So, from an organisational point of view, we are very much satisfied, and we have also received confirmations from exhibitors that they are also ready and raring to go and we are expecting a good show,” said Mr Chagonda.
International buyers are coming mainly from Europe, Middle East, America and China, the biggest tourism market in the world today. European countries expected are France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, while from Africa – the biggest source market – South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia Botswana and Ghana are coming.
From the Middle East, buyers are coming from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran. At least 19 foreign exhibitors largely from embassies and tourism boards are expected to take in the expo. The Indian and Kenyan Tourism Boards, together with airlines such as Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, Egypt, Malawi and Indonesia will be exhibiting.
On the other hand, the local contingent of exhibitors will include players from various tourism sectors such as hospitality, tour operators, airlines, embassies, publicity associations, parastatals and other government institutions and hunting and safari operators and suppliers.
Mr Chagonda said the benefits of taking part in Sanganai 2014 include networking, meeting with exhibitors, visiting buyers as well as investors and suppliers to the tourism sector from all over the world. “It is a platform to network, engage and discuss business. There is also a chance of establishing strategic business partnerships with players in the tourism industry.
“Foreign companies also showcase their products. Sanganai is an event taking place in Zimbabwe but it is a platform for Africa to showcase itself to the world.
“This explains why we are saying it is Africa’s premier business exchange. It is also a platform to acquire knowledge about different source markets as they come to interact during Sanganai. It also provides opportunities to derive value from well-structured as well as themed and informative international tourism workshops because like this year, we have about three workshops that are taking place,” said Mr Chagonda.
Given popularity of social media in marketing around the globe, one of the workshops will focus on use of information and communication technology and social media in tourism while another concentrate on green tourism.
A number of local and regional presenters are billed to speak on various topics during the workshops.
Mr Ricky Taylor from South Africa, a consultant and managing director of a company involved in meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) tourism, is one of the key presenters.
Mr Taylor’s presentation comes at a time when Zimbabwe is rising as a Mice tourism destination after successfully hosting a number of meetings including the Jehovah’s Witnesses Convention which attracted about 3,000 international delegates and the recent 18th Insurance Congress for Developing Countries (ICDC).
“I am sure you know that one thing that is putting us on the map in terms of destination marketing right now is organising and hosting quality events, exhibitions as well as conferences. That is mice tourism and now we feel it is high time we have a workshop that will focus on conference organisation during Sanganai,” said Mr Chagonda. Fifteen international media houses are also expected at Sanganai from the United States, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands and South Africa.
