Bulawayo hospitality sector, ‘best in Zimbabwe’

Business Reporter

BULAWAYO’S hospitality sector facilities have been lauded as some of the finest in the country, a solid foundation players in the tourism sector can leverage on and boost the sector.

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Tongai Mnangagwa said this last Friday when he commended the pristine quality of various accommodation facilities in the city, noting that those in Harare are significantly less impressive.

The Deputy Minister was speaking during a media engagement as part of the launch of the 17th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo.

The Expo is set for 12 to 14 September 2024 at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo.

“I have stayed in many different areas (in Bulawayo) and Harare has nothing on Bulawayo. The city is way ahead in terms of the way you are fixing rooms and furniture. I see Sandton in Johannesburg when I go into the rooms in Bulawayo when compared to Harare. It’s amazing. Bulawayo has the best rooms in the country,” said Deputy Minister Mnangagwa.

To fully exploit the exhibition and leverage its unique facilities, Bulawayo’s tourism stakeholders have been urged to embrace and take charge of the expo as the event is primed to enhance the city’s tourism profile significantly.

Deputy Minister Mnangagwa said that the premier exhibition is positioned to be the leading tourism expo in Africa.

He noted that the expo has been hosted in Bulawayo to promote the tourism industry, especially for small operators incapacitated and unable to attend international travel shows.

“As the host province, we look forward to seeing more players from the Metropolitan Province and elaborate displays from the City of Kings and Queens.

“We look forward to the province taking ownership and advantage of this mega event to profile its tourism products,” said Deputy Minister Mnangagwa.

He, however, lamented the low response from tourism players to the expo.

“Sanganai is at your doorstep, and we would like to beseech you to participate without fail. Registrations are showing that we have a low uptake in Bulawayo. We encourage you to take individual stands as the custodians of this Tourism Expo.

“We look forward to a successful Sanganai 2024 and we will be pleased to see you taking a lead in the planning and execution of this event,” he said.

The Deputy Minister further appealed to tourism industry players in the region to support this initiative on hosting of international buyers as it is important for them to sample products for future business with them.

“We also look forward to having a bigger expo this year with elaborate sustainable tourism initiatives and gastronomy tourism showcase. This is to ensure that the tourism value chain is represented at Sanganai 2024.”

The annual event organised by ZTA in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry provides a platform for tourism players, both local and international, to network, explore collaboration opportunities and exhibit their products and services.

The exhibition forms part of the Tourism Recovery Plan to achieve a US$5 billion economy by 2025.

The country’s tourism industry has undergone notable development and transformation in recent years, spurred by sustainable initiatives, improved infrastructure, and strategic partnerships.

Over the years, the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo has become a premier tourism expo. Each year, it has attracted exhibitors, buyers, investors and media persons from the local, regional and international markets.

The expo serves as a powerful platform to further reinforce these achievements and position Zimbabwe as a leading destination for tourists from across the globe.

The physical exhibition has previously drawn buyers and media from Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.

More than 400 exhibitors are targeted for this year’s expo compared to 375 in 2023. 40 regional and international companies are targeted up from 34 in 2023.

As a build-up to the exhibition, Deputy Minister Mnangagwa said there has been positive interest from all key source markets.

“To date a notable number of international buyers and media have registered to attend the expo. We have international buyer registrations from Europe with the bulk coming from Germany and the United Kingdom.

“South African, China, India, United States of America have also responded positively,” he said.