Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe in Masvingo
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today officially open the 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo in Masvingo, as Zimbabwe steps up efforts to attract tourism investment, unlock new markets and increase foreign currency earnings.
The four-day expo,starting today and ending on Saturday at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre, has attracted 153 buyers alongside exhibitors, tourism operators and other industry stakeholders, emphasizing its growing importance as a platform for tourism business and investment.
According to the programme of the day shared with the media, formal proceedings will begin at 9am with the arrival of President Mnangagwa who will be taken through a briefing before touring exhibition stands. This will be followed by the singing of the National Anthem, marking the start of official opening proceedings with the President set to deliver his keynote address at around 11am.
Yesterday Cabinet received an update on final preparations for the Expo as presented by the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbra Rwodzi. The Minister’s report touched on the state of preparedness, strides made in Decentralising tourism benefits and strengthening the visibility and inclusivity of provincial tourism benefits, and legacy infrastructure brought about as a result of the hosting of the expo in Masvingo.
“To date, 385 companies from 15 countries including Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Indonesia, among others, have confirmed their participation.
“A total of 153 buyers comprising 125 international and 28 local buyers have similarly confirmed their participation,” Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Zhemu Soda, said in a post cabinet media briefing.
“The international buyers represent key source markets including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, the United Kingdom,
Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Bangladesh, South Africa and other African markets.”
Government is positioning the premier tourism showcase beyond a conventional exhibition, using it to forge business-to-business linkages, attract investment and create opportunities across the tourism value chain while driving provincial development.
The bulk of the international buyers arrived in Masvingo aboard three inaugural Air Zimbabwe flights operated over the weekend, marking a significant development in the province’s air connectivity.
The new air link is expected to provide a faster connection between Harare and Masvingo, complementing road transport while making it easier for tourists, business travellers and investors to access the province.
The improved connectivity comes at a critical time as Government seeks to unlock Masvingo’s tourism potential and spread economic activity beyond the country’s traditional tourism and business centres.
By yesterday afternoon, the expo venue had been transformed into a hive of activity, with exhibitors putting the finishing touches to their stands ahead of today’s official opening.
From tourism authorities and hospitality groups to destinations and private-sector players, exhibitors were busy arranging displays, branding their pavilions and ensuring their offerings were ready for the expected influx of buyers, investors and visitors.
The final preparations injected a strong sense of anticipation into the exhibition grounds, with the
various pavilions beginning to showcase the diversity of Zimbabwe’s tourism industry.
Tourism remains a key pillar of Zimbabwe’s economy, generating foreign currency, supporting employment and creating business opportunities across accommodation, transport, aviation, agriculture, retail, entertainment and the creative industries.
The hosting of the 19th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe in Masvingo is part of the broader Government strategy to leverage tourism, investment and infrastructure to unlock provincial economies.
Masvingo is home to some of Zimbabwe’s major tourism attractions, including the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, Kyle Recreational Park and Gonarezhou National Park.
This year’s expo is also placing emphasis on diversified tourism products, including sport, gastronomy, music, heritage and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.
Ahead of the official opening, three strategic engagements bringing together a cross-section of industry players were held yesterday to explore new business opportunities, strengthen market linkages and position Zimbabwe for increased tourism receipts.
The engagements comprised the Gastronomy Masterclass, MICE Events Planners Masterclass and
Tourism Boards CEOs Roundtable.
The gastronomy cluster is increasingly becoming an important component of destination marketing, with food and culinary experiences providing tourists with opportunities to connect with local culture while creating markets for farmers, food processors, restaurants and other small businesses.
The MICE masterclass, meanwhile, comes against the backdrop of Government’s drive to position Zimbabwe as a competitive destination for conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings and incentive travel.
The CEOs’ roundtable provided a platform for tourism authorities to discuss destination development, source markets, regional cooperation and strategies to increase tourist arrivals and receipts.
Addressing the inaugural CEO Roundtable conference, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Tongai Mnangagwa said Africa must adopt a collective approach to tourism development and marketing.
“Tourism is no longer simply about attracting visitors to individual countries. It is about building competitive destinations, connected economies and compelling regional experiences,” he said.
“It’s, therefore, imperative that the conversation today must go beyond individual country performance. As CEOs, you are deliberately expected to discuss ways of how to collectively build an African tourism industry that is more integrated, more competitive, more resilient and capable of capturing a greater share of global tourism flows.”
Deputy Minister Mnangagwa said Africa should move away from marketing individual destinations in isolation and instead package the continent as a collection of interconnected tourism experiences.
“Africa must move from selling destinations in isolation to selling African tourism experiences. A visitor coming to Africa should be able to experience several countries as part of one seamless journey — our wildlife, heritage, culture, gastronomy, adventure, business tourism, beaches, mountains, cities and communities.
“As leaders, you must therefore strengthen cross-border tourism products, regional circuits, joint marketing initiatives, share events and coordinated destination promotion.”
He stressed the need to make it easier for an international traveller to visit Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and beyond as one compelling African journey.
“This is the type of collaboration that can transform the continent’s tourism competitiveness,” he said.
Deputy Minister Mnangagwa said the prevailing geopolitical environment presented both risks and opportunities for African tourism, requiring destinations to strengthen their competitiveness.
“We must be ready to capture emerging markets and convert global disruptions into new opportunities for tourism growth and investment,” he said.
“Every new route is a new gateway to tourism, investment and economic opportunity.”
Beyond physical connectivity, the Deputy Minister said Africa also needed to address digital connectivity as tourists increasingly rely on digital platforms throughout the travel process.
“The modern tourist discovers destinations online, compares prices digitally, books accommodation through platforms, uses digital maps, reads reviews, consumes social media content and increasingly expects personalised travel experiences,” he said.
Deputy Minister Mnangagwa also stressed the importance of sustainability and resilience in tourism development, saying the continent’s natural and cultural assets remained the foundation of
its tourism competitiveness.
“Government and industry must, therefore, adopt policies that protect these resources while building resilient tourism systems capable of withstanding climate, economic and other shocks, ensuring that sustainability and resilience become central pillars of Africa’s long-term tourism development and competitiveness.
“We must also position tourism as a driver of broader economic transformation, recognising its linkages with aviation, transport, ICT, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, culture, sport and the creative industries,” he said.
The expo is expected to provide local tourism operators with opportunities to connect with international markets while showcasing Masvingo’s tourism assets to global buyers.
The inaugural Air Zimbabwe flights to Masvingo, alongside the buyer familiarisation tours and strategic industry engagements, have added a strong business and investment dimension to this year’s edition.
