The Sunday Mail
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority says the 2016 edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo will give significant attention to business exchanges that suit the needs of the market and align with the changing needs of a dynamic industry.
The Expo, which begins this week in Bulawayo, runs from June 16 to June 18 and links tourism buyers and sellers from across the globe.
Billed as “Africa’s premier business exchange”, some of the scheduled events include an Incentive Travel Development Workshop, the Youth Tourism Symposium, and Business and Arts and Culture days.
An ICT workshop will also be prioritised considering the growing importance of social media in marketing. Several local and international presenters are billed to speak at the workshops.
ZTA head of corporate affairs Mr Sugar Chagonda told The Sunday Mail Business that Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Dr Walter Mzembi would meet key tourism stakeholders during Sanganai/Hlanganani.
“Policy issues and probable interventions will be discussed,” said Mr Chagonda.
Sanganai/Hlanganani is famed for attracting top international buyers and exhibitors. ZTA has set a target of at least 180 buyers mainly from traditional source markets in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.
If achieved, the figure will be an increase from the 128 buyers who took part in the 2015 Expo. Sixteen international media houses and numerous tourism bloggers are already in Zimbabwe.
Mr Chagonda added, “We are actually satisfied with the preparations and confident the ninth edition will certainly be better than the previous events. Zimbabwe is going through a number of challenges thus we are saying the World Expo presents a perfect platform for us to learn from others since it allows us to meet and network with exhibitors, visiting buyers, investors and suppliers of the tourism services from all over the world.”
The expo targets exhibitors in accommodation, airlines, tertiary education, hunting and safari operators, Government institutions and parastatals.
In an interview last week, South African buyer from Traveltroll Africa, Mr Gordon Triegaardt, said he was interested on Zimbabwean tourism products.
“This year I’m doing quite an extensive tour of Zimbabwe to see some of the products. There has also been some refurbished products like in Victoria Falls, they have redone some of the hotels, so I’m looking forward to seeing that,” said Mr Gordon.
Sanganai/Hlanganani, which was declared a national event in 2007, will be held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre near Bulawayo’s CBD.
