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Business Reporters
INTERNATIONAL buyers to this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Fair have started arriving ahead of the expo which starts in Bulawayo next week.
The event is slated for the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre from June 16 to 18.
According to event organisers, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), the buyers from around the world started arriving in the country on Monday.
“The first group of Sanganai/Hlanganani international buyers arrives in the country for the fair this morning (Monday) at 11:30hrs at the Harare International Airport,” said ZTA in an e-mail accompanying the buyers’ arrival and departure schedule.
The tourism authority indicated that some of the buyers that have arrived are from countries such as France, Switzerland, South Africa, and the Netherlands.
Welcoming the first batch of buyers at the Harare International Airport on Monday, ZTA head of corporate affairs Sugar Chagonda said the country’s tourism authority was glad to be receiving the buyers.
He said there was no tourism to talk about when you do not have buyers.
“We’re very happy to be receiving our international buyers as well as international media who have already started trooping in to attend this year’s edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo.
“As you know, there’s no tourism expo to talk about when you don’t have the buyers,” said Chagonda.
“There’s also no expo to talk about when you don’t have international media so their coming is clear cut confirmation that Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo is really taking place and we’re very much excited.”
Meanwhile, a training seminar for exhibitors was conducted in Bulawayo yesterday where National Conventions Bureau executive director Tesa Chikaponya addressed participants together with the ZITF team.
She said some of the buyers were already on pre-tours to the country’s resort centres that include Kariba, Nyanga and Victoria Falls.
After the tourism fair, the buyers will also visit other tourist attractions such as Hwange National Park, Matopos and Victoria Falls as part of the post-fair tours.
Chikaponya said 210 exhibitors have registered for participation at this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani fair compared to 128 at last year’s event.
In 2015, she said, Sanganai/Hlanganani attracted 128 exhibitors.
Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo is an annual tourism trade fair that showcases the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products and attracts international visitors and media from across the world.
Online Reporter