Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe in Masvingo
FINANCE, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube will today headline the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe Tourism Investment Forum as Zimbabwe steps up efforts to mobilise capital for the expansion of the tourism and hospitality industry.
Prof Ncube is set to deliver the keynote address at the Masvingo Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre.
The high-level investment forum, being held on the sidelines of the 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo, is expected to provide a platform for Government, financiers, investors and tourism industry players to explore opportunities to unlock capital and accelerate destination development.
The programme places investment mobilisation at the centre of discussions, with a session titled “Mobilising Investment for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry” scheduled immediately after Prof Ncube’s address.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will also outline the foreign exchange framework for investment in Zimbabwe’s tourism industry, while the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) will focus on profiling tourism projects to improve bankability and attract financing and development partners.
Other sessions will examine tourism infrastructure development and the role of capital markets in unlocking investment into the sector.
The forum will also feature a panel discussion titled “Projects to Investment: Unlocking Institutional Capital for Zimbabwe’s Tourism Sector”, bringing into focus the need to convert tourism projects into bankable investment propositions capable of attracting long-term institutional funding.
The investment drive comes as Government seeks to leverage Zimbabwe’s diverse tourism assets, including its heritage, wildlife and provincial destinations, to deepen the sector’s contribution to economic growth.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira is also expected to address the forum on developing global investment networks for sustainable tourism through economic diplomacy and the diaspora.
The Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo is providing a platform for tourism operators, investors, buyers and policymakers to forge commercial partnerships and market Zimbabwe as an investment and tourism destination.
