Online Reporter
George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
MASVINGO is set for a major boost in tourism as Air Zimbabwe introduces direct flights from Harare to the ancient city for the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo, opening a faster gateway to the province’s major attractions.
The new flights are being introduced as Masvingo prepares to host the expo from September 9 to 12.
Air Zimbabwe will operate daily Harare-Masvingo flights during the expo period, with a one-way ticket costing US$100 and a return fare pegged at US$175.
The airline will also connect Masvingo with Victoria Falls at US$240 one way and US$360 return, while flights between Harare and Chiredzi will be introduced from September 5.
The new connections are expected to make it easier for international buyers arriving through the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to reach Masvingo, while giving tourists more convenient access to attractions in the province and the wider Lowveld.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Tongai Mnangagwa said the Government was particularly pleased with the Harare-Masvingo connection because of the number of international buyers expected at Sanganai.
“We are happy that Air Zimbabwe has introduced those flights to cater for the anticipated boom in traffic to the ancient city for the Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo,” he said.
“The flights are expected to serve most of our international buyers who are coming for the expo, and most of them are coming via Robert (Gabriel) Mugabe International Airport and they will be able to connect to Masvingo City.”
The Government is now considering whether the route should continue operating beyond Sanganai, potentially transforming what is currently an event-driven service into a permanent tourism link.
“We will also look into the feasibility of retaining direct air link between Harare and Masvingo even after the expo to see if Air Zimbabwe can continue plying that route for the benefit of our tourists,” said Deputy Minister Mnangagwa.
“It is something that we are going to talk to Air Zimbabwe about, but it is still something that is being planned.”
The development comes as Masvingo prepares to showcase its tourism potential to an expanded international audience at Sanganai, which will be held at the Gymkhana Grounds.
The authorities have confirmed the participation of 133 international buyers, up from 89 last year, representing a 49,4 percent increase.
A total of 392 exhibitors have so far registered, against a target of 400.
Masvingo Province Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira said the event would give the province an opportunity to market itself to the world.
The province is home to the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site, the monument from which the country derives its name.
The ancient stone city, which was accorded World Heritage status in 1986, is renowned for its massive dry-stone structures built without mortar and is associated with the medieval Zimbabwe civilisation.
Masvingo also offers a combination of wildlife, water-based tourism and scenic attractions, including Kyle Recreational Park, Lake Mutirikwi and Tugwi-Mukosi, Zimbabwe’s largest inland dam.
The Lowveld provides an even bigger opportunity.
The expansion of the Buffalo Range International Airport in Chiredzi is expected to improve the area’s capacity to receive tourists, including larger aircraft, while strengthening its role as a gateway to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
The park links Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park with South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park, creating one of the region’s most significant cross-border conservation and tourism destinations.
Minister Chadzamira said construction work at the Gymkhana Grounds was progressing well, while roads and other facilities had been prepared for the influx of visitors.
President Mnangagwa is expected to officially open the expo on September 9.
Accommodation has also been secured, with more than 50 000 rooms identified for visitors, according to Minister Chadzamira.
