ZITF delegates arrive as major hotels are fully booked

Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
EXHIBITORS started trickling into Bulawayo at the weekend ahead of the 57th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which starts tomorrow. Players in the hospitality industry are already warming up for brisk business with Catering Employers’ Association of Zimbabwe president Joe Kahwema, saying major hotels were fully booked.

He, however, said the occupancy rate in small hotels and lodges is still ranging between 50 and 70 percent.

“The major hotels are full and this is largely because of their reputation. Small hotels and lodges aren’t full and I don’t think they’ll be full during the trade fair. The closure of companies in recent years has also affected ZITF in terms of exhibitor participation,” said Kahwema, who is also the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe president.

During the trade fair period hotel and lodges accommodation rates normally go up slightly. “Because of the trade fair, hotel rates have slightly gone up between $100 and $150 per night,” he said. This year’s ZITF runs under the theme, “Innovate-Integrate-Industrialise”.

This year’s showcase builds on the 2015 focus, which was centred on opportunities to accelerate growth but goes a step further to address the critical issues of innovation, industrialisation and regional integration. ZITF creates a marketing and linkages platform for businesses.

The trade fair is one of the largest intra-regional trade fairs south of the Sahara. It is an annual exhibition which offers exposure to trade and public visitors. In 2015, international exhibitor participation at the ZITF was up 46.7 percent on the previous year with 19 nations represented compared to 18 nations the prior year.

Some of the countries that were represented at last year’s event include the United States of America, Iran, China, Cyprus, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and Ethiopia.