Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]
BULAWAYO has been urged to take full ownership of the Sanganai/Hlanganani – World Tourism Expo to boost its tourism profile, as the exhibition is primed to be the key tourism expo in Africa, according to the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister, Tongai Mnangagwa.
The 17th edition of the premier tourism exhibition is set for September 12 to 14 in Bulawayo.
Addressing the media yesterday in Bulawayo, he said the expo is hosted in Bulawayo to promote the tourism industry, especially small operators who are 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.
However, he noted that there has been a low response from Bulawayo tourism players to date.
“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,” he said.
Deputy Minister Mnangagwa appealed to tourism industry players in the region to support the initiative on hosting international buyers, as it is important for them to sample products for future business.
“We also look forward to having a bigger expo this year with elaborate sustainable tourism initiatives and a gastronomy tourism showcase. This is to ensure that the tourism value chain is represented at Sanganai 2024.”
The annual event, organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (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.
For the first time, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development will feature Tourism Innovation Hubs. The initiative, Deputy Minister Mnangagwa said, is aimed at supporting youth in academia and exposing their ideas to the global community.
“Gastronomy tourism on the production of fresh organic juices from indigenous fruits is one of the key beneficiaries of this noble initiative. Another exciting addition will be the MICE Masterclass aimed at capacitating all stakeholders on MICE tourism promotion. We are bringing MICE experts from across Africa to deliberate on pertinent issues regarding MICE tourism development and growth,” he said.
Deputy Minister Mnangagwa added that Sanganai/Hlanganani – World Tourism Expo has vast potential to be the key tourism exhibition in Africa, and several regional countries have been invited to showcase and pitch their investment opportunities and tourism product portfolios.
More than 400 exhibitors are targeted, compared to 375 in 2023. He noted that 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 Africa, China, India, and the United States of America have also responded positively,” he added.
Online Reporter