Chinamasa to officially open tourism expo

Published: 27 September 2017

FINANCE and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa will officially open this year's Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Fair, which begins in Bulawayo tomorrow.

The expo, which is in its 10th year-running would be preceded by World Tourism Day commemorations today whose main celebrations will be held in Bulawayo as Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world to mark the day.

This year's edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani, which would be held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre and ends on October 1.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) head of public relations and corporate affairs, Mr Sugar Chagonda, told Business Chronicle yesterday that Minister Chinamasa would officially open this year's tourism expo on Friday.

"This year's expo will be officially opened by Finance and Economic Development Minister on September 29.

"On the 28th of September, a day before the official opening, the Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Honourable Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo is expected to host a welcome reception," he said, adding that international buyers will tomorrow convene several marketing and destination workshops with exhibitors to gather market intelligence.

Mr Chagonda said some of the international buyers were already in the country conducting the traditional pre-show tours visiting the country's various tourist attraction centres such as Kariba, Victoria Falls, and the Eastern Highlands.

"The international buyers have started arriving and most of them are already in the country conducting pre-Sanganai/Hlanganani tours. The buyers, as they conduct their tours are being joined by journalists from 24 international media. After the expo, they will also conduct post-Sanganai/Hlanganani tours," said Mr Chagonda.

He said Ethiopia Airlines chief executive officer, Mr Tewolde Gebremram, would also be the guest of honour at this year's Sanganai/Hlanganani awards ceremony on Saturday. The 10th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo has attracted 350 exhibitors and 224 international buyers.

The exhibitors include 29 foreign companies from 11 countries among them South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania.

Last year's event attracted 236 exhibitors while international buyers were 118.

ZTA has attributed increased exhibitors and buyers participation at this year's expo to enhanced business value they have recognised as a result of participating at previous editions of Sanganai/Hlanganani.
- chronicle