Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, [email protected]
TRAVEL and leisure writers from the public and private media across the country have embarked on a countrywide tour of tourism resorts as part of the upcoming Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo pre event activities.
The country will host the 17th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo between Thursday and Saturday at the Zimbabwe Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo.
The expo is an important platform for local tourism operators, especially small and medium enterprises to interact with the world to grow their businesses.
As part of the expo, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority brings in buyers and markets who comprise travel agents and journalists and takes them on a tour of facilities and activities to have an appreciation of the tourism resource to market domestic tourism and help promote the brand Zimbabwe initiative.
Journalists from Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Harare and Mutare left their stations to convene in Masvingo for the tour which will end on Wednesday.
ZTA expects a bigger exciting expo this year with efforts being made to showcase the breadth and depth of Zimbabwe’s vibrant tourism industry to the world.
Around 450 local and international exhibitors are expected this year, making 8.3 percent increase from 375 in 2023.
These are drawn from airlines, tour operators, hotels, lodges, safari companies, national tourism organisations, and many more.
Buyers from various source markets namely America, Europe, Middle East, China and the Pacific and Africa are expected on these pre-and post familiarisation tours covering all tourism destinations especially the hidden gems.
They are expected go to Harare, Nyanga, Masvingo, Chinhoyi Kariba and Gweru, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Chiredzi and Masvingo before convening in Bulawayo for the actual expo.
Sanganai/Hlanganani brings the world to Bulawayo where travel professionals, influencers and dreamers gather to discuss trends, strike deals and swap stories.
“This expo provides a fantastic platform for Zimbabwe to promote its diverse tourism offerings and attract new visitors to explore our nation’s stunning natural wonders, rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality resonating with tourism clusters of health tourism, study tourism, holiday, recreation, religious, sports, business or Mice, visiting and family, wildlife and environment and township tourism,” said the ZTA.
Zimbabwe has hosted the Expo for promoting tourism in Bulawayo which has rich heritage and cultural sites and showcase the city’s tourism potential, decentralising tourism development, leveraging Bulawayo’s strategic location, building regional tourism cooperation.
The Expo expects to create a business platform for local tourism stakeholders and international buyers, make the show attractive, identify and create synergies, raise profile of the fair, aggressively market Zimbabwe, build Zimbabwe image.
Key highlights will be the investment forum, scholastic forum, Mice Masterclass and others.
Online Reporter