Exhibitors, buyers jet in for Zim tourism expo

Published: 28 September 2017

EXHIBITORS and buyers to this year's Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Fair arrived in Bulawayo yesterday ahead of the premium expo, which begins today.

The 10th edition of the tourism expo is coming to Bulawayo for the second time after it was relocated to Harare few years ago.

Organisers of the event, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) confirmed yesterday that local and foreign exhibitors including international buyers who had gone for pre-Sanganai/Hlanganani tours had started converging in Bulawayo ahead of the premier event.

"It's all systems go as all the exhibitors and international buyers have started converging in Bulawayo including those who had gone for pre-Sanganai/Hlanganani tours. All the 29 foreign companies from 11 countries among them South Africa, Uganda, Egypt, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania as we announced are already in Bulawayo," said ZTA head of public relations and corporate affairs, Mr Sugar Chagonda.

Business Chronicle visited some of the exhibition stands at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre yesterday where some of the exhibitors were busy putting final touches on their stands.

In separate interviews, some exhibitors said they were looking forward to a fruitful fair.

An official from the Egyptian Tourist Authority Dr Mohab Hussein said they were hoping to meet buyers from all over the world as they endeavour to sell their country's tourism products.

"We arrived yesterday and we are happy to be here once again for the second time now. We expect to generate a lot of business and increase the number of tourists visiting our country.

"This show is the second largest tourism fair in Africa so by participating here we expose ourselves to different people from different cultures, and also the fair creates an opportunity for co-operation between authorities in tourism, governments and tour operators," he said.

An official from Limpopo Tourism who refused to be named echoed similar sentiments saying they expect this year's travel and tourism fair to be bigger and better than the previous editions in terms of generating business.

A local exhibitor from African Paradise Mr John Jourbert said they were putting final touches to their exhibition stands as they expect to meet international buyers who will sell the tourism products they were offering.

This year's Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Fair has attracted 350 exhibitors and 224 international buyers.

In 2016, the tourism expo attracted 236 exhibitors and 118 international buyers.
- chronicle