Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe in Masvingo
TOURISM and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi on Tuesday narrated to President Mnangagwa the extensive preparations that preceded the 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo, highlighting deliberate efforts to position Masvingo as a vibrant tourism and economic hub.
In her welcome remarks at the official opening, Minister Rwodzi said her ministry and stakeholders had spent the past month and a half taking Sanganai beyond the traditional exhibition format by hosting a series of events designed to mobilise communities and demonstrate the economic value of tourism.
“We have been in this city for the past one and a half months hosting events in series towards this day, reminding people of Masvingo of the importance of tourism,” she said.
Minister Rwodzi said the programme included a sports week, while a Gastronomy and Carnival procession held on Saturday brought together people from across the province in a colourful celebration of Zimbabwean culture, food and heritage.
“We hosted a sports week. On Saturday, we had a Gastronomy and Carnival procession to unite the people of Masvingo and that was a success,” she said.
The ministry also hosted a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) conference on Tuesday, further reinforcing Government’s drive to establish Zimbabwe as a competitive destination for business tourism.
The impact of the expo was already being felt across the city, with increased activity in the hospitality and entertainment sectors.
“Restaurants are busy and pubs are full,” Minister Rwodzi told the President.
She said the decentralisation of Sanganai was yielding tangible results, with the expo having been taken to the Eastern Highlands last year and now Masvingo, helping to expose different tourism destinations to the international market.
“We took Sanganai to the Eastern Highlands last year and we are seeing a surge of international buyers, especially from India,” she said.
Minister Rwodzi said the rotational hosting of Sanganai was part of Government’s devolution thrust, which seeks to ensure that tourism benefits communities across the country rather than being concentrated in a few traditional destinations.
“This devolution is telling the world that tourism is not only in Victoria Falls but all over the country,” she said.
During her remarks, Minister Rwodzi also unveiled the international buyers participating at the expo to President Mnangagwa, showcasing the growing global interest in Zimbabwe’s tourism products.
“This is our objective, Your Excellency, that the world should know Zimbabwe,” she said.
The Masvingo edition of Sanganai is therefore emerging as more than a tourism exhibition, with Government using the platform to stimulate local economic activity, promote domestic destinations and connect Zimbabwean tourism operators with international markets.
