adminCharity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
THE 8th edition of the annual tourism exhibition Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo would be held from June 18 to 20 after being moved from October in line with recommendations of the buyers.Sanganai/Hlanganani tourism fair is an annual tourism trade fair organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
It showcases the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products and attracts international visitors and media around the world.
The exhibition was repositioned last year to give it a more serious business thrust.
This year’s expo will be held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
ZTA acting chief executive officer, Givemore Chidzidzi, said the move to shift the dates was a recommendation from buyers.
“The repositioning done last year also sought to address a lot of things, which had to do with our way of organising and hosting of Sanganai/Hlanganani. These included buyer-exhibitor selection criteria, downsizing of space occupied by exhibitors focusing on quality of exhibitors and buyers, use of online meeting booking system for buyers and exhibitors,” he said.
Chidzidzi said an agreement has been reached between players through the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism to move this year’s edition to the first half of the year.
He said buyers highlighted last year that the timing of the event must be in sync with their planning cycle.
“They suggested an earlier timing that is more suitable for their planning, which will allow them to package Zimbabwe the following year hence ZTA were left with no option but to move Sanganai to the first half of the year as we’re convinced that this is in the interest of the industry in our endeavour to attract quality buyers who will seriously do business with us”, said Chidzidzi.
He said despite positive reports yielded by the 2014 edition of Sanganai, the authority was rectifying a few challenges it came across last year.
Chidzidzi urged operators in the tourism industry to play an active role in bringing buyers as the success of Sanganai and Zimbabwe’s tourism was hinged on joint efforts between the ZTA and players in the tourism sector.
He said recruitment of buyers and exhibitors for this year’s fair was in progress and being done at the authority’s headquarters, regional and international offices.
The revamped Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo website is also up and running while the online booking system will be open to buyers and exhibitors by mid-March.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo