Online Reporter
George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
National air carrier Air Zimbabwe is set to launch daily direct flights between Harare and Masvingo, extending to the Lowveld, as the build-up to this year’s 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo continues to gather pace.
The expo, held annually on a rotational basis in the country’s ten administrative provinces, will take place at Gymkhana Grounds in Masvingo City from 9 to 12 September.
The Government has already confirmed the participation of 133 international buyers at the premier tourism event, up from 89 last year, representing a 49.4 percent increase, while 392 exhibitors have to date registered against a target of 400.
However, it is the decision by Air Zimbabwe to introduce direct flights between Harare and Masvingo, as well as Harare and Chiredzi, that has generated particular excitement within tourism circles in Masvingo province.
According to figures shared by the airline to promote the impending launch, a one-way ticket from Harare to Masvingo will cost US$140, while a return ticket will cost US$240. The Harare to Chiredzi one-way ticket will cost US$155, with a return ticket priced at US$279.
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Tongai Mnangagwa hailed the launch of the direct daily flights, saying they would cater for the anticipated surge in traffic to the ancient city for the expo.
“Yes, it’s there, and 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. 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 Mugabe International Airport and will be able to connect to Masvingo City,” he said.
The deputy minister also floated the idea of establishing a permanent daily air link between Harare and Masvingo to benefit tourists beyond the expo.
“We will also look into the feasibility of retaining a 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. It is something that we are going to talk to Air Zimbabwe about, but it is still something that is being planned,” he said.
The build-up to this year’s expo is already in full swing, with Deputy Minister Mnangagwa on Tuesday launching the Sports Tourism Carnival, which will culminate in Sports Tourism Awards to be presented by Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbra Rwodzi. Fifteen teachers’ colleges, polytechnics and universities are taking part in the sports carnival, which seeks to boost sports tourism while serving as a dress rehearsal for the main expo.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira described this year’s expo as a platform to sell Masvingo to the world, noting that the province boasted numerous tourist attraction sites.
He also expressed satisfaction with progress in construction works at Gymkhana Grounds, the venue of the expo, saying everything was now in place for the province to host the event.
Minister Chadzamira said roads and all facilities were now in perfect condition to host the event, which will be officially opened by President Mnangagwa on 9 September.
Accommodation for visitors during the expo was also available, with more than 50 000 rooms having been identified for the task, as the Masvingo tourism community braced for an influx of visitors.
According to Minister Chadzamira, tourism has the potential to increase its share of the provincial gross domestic product, with Masvingo being home to world-renowned sites such as the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site, from which the nation derives its name.
The ancient city was accorded world heritage site status in 1986 and is famed as a prehistoric citadel of the great Munhumutapa Empire, built using finely cut stones balanced on top of each other without mortar.
Masvingo also boasts Kyle Recreational Park and Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe’s second-largest inland dam, as well as Tugwi-Mukosi, the country’s largest inland dam.
The Lowveld is also a potential boon for tourism development, with the expansion of Buffalo Range International Airport allowing larger aircraft carrying tourists to land there, serving as a gateway to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
The transfrontier park, which brings together Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park, South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park, has arguably the largest concentration of fauna and flora of any habitat globally.
