Sanganai/Hlanganani dates moved Sugar Chagonda

Oliver Kazunga Acting Business Editor
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has moved Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Fair from October to June starting this year taking heed of the call by international buyers.

The annual tourism fair that attracts local, regional and international buyers and exhibitors used to be held in October.

ZTA head of public relations and corporate communications Sugar Chagonda said international buyers had in the past hinted that they were finding it difficult to package and market Zimbabwe after October.

“We’ve had feedback from international buyers at Sanganai/Hlanganani who were saying they were finding it difficult to package Zimbabwe after October as their year would have closed. As the country’s tourism authority, we had no option but to take heed of their advice, starting this year, the fair has been moved from October to June.

“This year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani will run from June 18 to 20 but we’re yet to come up with a programme,” he said in a telephone interview from Belgium last Friday.

He was with the Zimbabwe delegation attending the tourism consumer fair called the Vakantie Salon in that country.

Led by Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Retired Brigadier General Walter Kanhanga, players in the tourism and hospitality sector were in Europe attending events such as the recently held Vakantiebuers Fair in the Netherlands.

At the Vakantiebuers Fair, the delegation, which is expected back home at the end of the month, intensified efforts to regain Zimbabwe’s lost share in tourist arrivals from the Benelux region after the country’s 16 years of absence.

The Benelux region includes Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Chagonda said their participation at the events had accorded them an opportunity to invite tourism players in the Benelux market to the forthcoming Sanganai/Hlanganani fair.

“We’ve invited them (Benelux market) and they’ll be participating at this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani,” he said.

At its peak, the Benelux market contributed about nine percent of Zimbabwe international tourist arrivals.

However, the figure dropped to less than one percent due to lack of efforts to lure tourists from that region.

Tourism is one of Zimbabwe’s economic mainstays as it contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product.

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