Online Reporter
Africa Moyo, Deputy National Editor
UP to 6 000 visitors are being recorded daily at the Zimbabwe Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, with most of them expressing interest in exploring the country’s tourist attraction centres and investment opportunities, mainly agriculture and mining, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Minister Barbara Rwodzi has said.
In an interview after touring the pavilion, Minister Rwodzi said the stand has become a major attraction, bringing thousands of visitors, especially during weekends.
“At our stand in Osaka, Expo 2025, we are very, very happy and very blessed by the numbers of people visiting the Zimbabwe Pavilion,” she said.
“An average of 4 000 people are coming to the stand every day. Some days are 6 000, some days are 5 000, but the average is about 4 000 and it’s impressive.
“A big number of Japanese are impressed by tourism. Most of them are coming to see what we are offering across the sectors, of course, but a lot of them are asking more questions about tourism.”
Minister Rwodzi added that the visitors to the Zimbabwe Pavilion are interested in seeing products that Zimbabwe offers.
“They are amazingly loving the national fabric. It’s very, very impressive. We are very sure that with this Expo, the numbers of Japanese, tourists in particular, are going to increase,” she said.
Statistics show that between 20 000 and 60 000 Japanese tourists visit Zimbabwe, mainly the mighty Victoria Falls, and it is these numbers that are expected to rise going forward following the massive marketing of attraction centres that is underway at Expo 2025 Osaka.
A major crowd-puller to the pavilion has been the Virtual Reality installations, which transport guests to the heart of Zimbabwe’s majestic landscapes and cultural heritage.
During her recent tour of the pavilion, Minister Rwodzi interacted with visitors and distributed promotional materials with the vibrant national fabric emerging as a clear favourite for many.
The national Fabric, which beautifully showcases the Zimbabwean identity, is the brainchild of Tourism Patron, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa.
Minister Rwodzi said Zimbabwe is poised for a “significant increase in tourist arrivals, driven by the enthusiasm, engagement and high volume of inquiries generated at the Expo”.
She said the interest sparked at the ongoing global event is “a strong indication that more travellers are ready to experience Zimbabwe”.
President Mnangagwa arrived in Osaka yesterday where he is expected to lead the Zimbabwe National Day celebrations tomorrow.
Many investment deals and partnerships are expected to be sealed between Japan and Zimbabwe, not only this week, but throughout the Expo, which ends in October.
