Online Reporter
George Maponga in Masvingo
MORE than 140 international buyers have arrived in Masvingo for the 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo, which will be officially opened by President Mnangagwa this Wednesday.
Running from September 9 to 12 at Gymkhana Grounds, the prestigious showcase has drawn delegates from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, anchoring Zimbabwe’s drive to market its diverse provincial attractions to the global travel industry.
Contingents of international buyers from the US and the Americas, Spain, Germany and greater Europe, Japan, Singapore and other parts of Asia, together with the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Middle East are among those who have arrived.
Their arrival has given a massive tourism boost to Masvingo City and the entire province, with hotels, lodges and motels enjoying brisk business.
Permanent Secretary for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa yesterday said the stage was set for the official opening of the expo by the President.
“The stage is now set for President Mnangagwa to officially open the expo on Wednesday and all the preparatory work has been completed at the venue, where a conference centre and exhibitors’ tents have been set up,” said Dr Pazvakavambwa.
“We have also been receiving international buyers from all over the world and the stage is set for the expo.
“We have buyers from all corners of the globe, including the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. After this expo, Masvingo tourism will never be the same.”
Dr Pazvakavambwa said major infrastructural changes have taken place.
“It is not just the hotels, lodges, motels and AirBnBs together with restaurants that are enjoying brisk business, but the infrastructural face of our city has also changed,” he said.
“Access roads leading to the venue (Gymkhana) have been constructed and everything is now in place. Masvingo Airport has also been given a facelift and now boasts an arrival and a departure wing unlike before, while the runway has also been expanded.”
According to Dr Pazvakavambwa the hosting of this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo would help boost tourism’s share of the provincial gross domestic product.
He hailed benefits that have already accrued to the provincial economy during the build-up to the globally acclaimed event, which is a common feature on Zimbabwe’s annual tourism calendar.
Dr Pazvakavambwa hailed carnivals that were held in the ancient city as a dress rehearsal for the expo.
The carnivals, organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, helped to showcase the country’s story and its people through sport, music and gastronomy.
The build-up to the expo reached a crescendo over the weekend with the arrival of the first cohort of international buyers at the refurbished Masvingo Airport.
Their arrival also marked the start of daily direct flights from Harare to Masvingo and Chiredzi by Air Zimbabwe after the national air carrier inked a deal with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority for daily air flight services from September 5 to 12.
The first flight into Masvingo Airport carrying around 40 international buyers coming for the tourism expo arrived on Saturday just after 8am .
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi, together with the Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira, witnessed the arrival of the first group of international buyers.
Three Air Zimbabwe flights landed into Masvingo Airport on Saturday alone, carrying international buyers.
Minister Rwodzi was impressed by the warm reception given to the buyers by the people of Masvingo City.
She also hailed the devolution of the expo to provinces, saying it was a boom for tourism.
By taking the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo to provinces, the Government was helping in the development of tourism infrastructure and marketing of tourist attraction sites in all corners of Zimbabwe.
This fitted within the bigger objective of the marketing of destination Zimbabwe, which was supposed to go beyond Harare by also casting the spotlight on tourist attraction sites in other provinces.
This year’s expo started with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry together with the Ministry of Sports, Arts, Recreation and Culture hosting a sports tourism carnival.
The carnival saw 15 teachers’ colleges, polytechnics and universities participating in disciplines such as netball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, cricket and others.
It ended with an awards ceremony at Mucheke Stadium last Friday, where Minister Rwodzi announced that the carnival will now be an annual event on the Masvingo tourism calendar as part of the drive to promote sports tourism in the province.
This was followed by a gastronomy and music carnival on Saturday that saw Ministers Rwodzi and Chadzamira leading marchers from Croco Motors in the Masvingo Central Business District to Caravan Park close to the Masvingo-Mutare highway.
Minister Rwodzi said the gastronomy and music carnivals sought to showcase the beauty of Zimbabwe and its people.
Minister Chadzamira said Masvingo province welcomed all international and local visitors to Masvingo, the home of the iconic Great Zimbabwe monument from where the nation’s name is derived.
He said the province was home to many tourist attractions such as Lake Mutirikwi, Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, Kyle Recreational Park and the Gonarezhou National Park, which is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
