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Prince Sunduzani, Business Reporter
BULAWAYO hotels and lodges are fully booked ahead of this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe international Trade Fair (ZITF) scheduled for April 24 to 28.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) president, Mr Innocent Manyera, said his sector was ready to host thousands of delegates during the country’s prime trade showcase.

He said the hotel accommodation facilities in the city were up to standard in terms of all the requirements that include hygiene and staffing. Mr Manyera said Bulawayo hotels were conducting weekly meetings to continue their preparations to ensure that the exhibition will be a success from a hospitality industry side.

“I was there over the weekend to assess from our side as HAZ. We had a tour of several facilities and I can safely say they are well prepared and are now waiting for the visitors to come. Most hotels and lodges are fully booked so they were trying to conscientise other operators who are not yet fully booked in Bulawayo,” he said.

Despite basic standards being satisfactory, Mr Manyera said, there was a need for Government to assist with recapitalisation of the country’s hotels for them to modernise existing facilities and match international standards. Earlier this year, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) unveiled a $15 million Tourism Support Facility aimed at capacitating small players to effectively participate in the development of the sector and contribute towards improving the country’s economy. The fund can be accessed by registered operators.

“I’m happy with the basic standards, what we need is to recapitalise. We have been pushing for the $15 million revolving fund from the RBZ to be a reality. Of late there were issues that have been making its fruition to delay. The challenge is on the recapitalisation of the facilities where some of them will need new equipment for us to match trends in the region,” said Mr Manyera.

@PrinceNkosy102