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KARIKOGA KASEKE

Senior Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and a Chinese investor have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of convention centres to enhance the country’s capacity to host international events.
A convention centre is a building or group of buildings designed for the purpose of conducting meetings, conferences, exhibitions and seminars where a large number of delegates are hosted.

ZTA chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke said Zimbabwe, which at the moment does not have a convention centre, requires three convention centres in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

He said this was critical as events, meetings and exhibitions that attract international delegates in big numbers were usually held in the three areas.

“We’ve been talking to our friends in China and have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Chinese investor for the construction of a convention centre soon. We definitely require three convention centres and an upmarket conference facility in Victoria Falls,” he said.

Due to lack of a conference centre in the country, events that attract a large number of international delegates such as the just ended Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Fair and the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair were being held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo and hotels in Harare and Victoria Falls.

“The only thing that is stopping us from shifting Sanganai/Hlanganani from Harare to Victoria Falls is the issue of facilities. We can erect tents but what type of ablution facilities will we have. And in Bulawayo, the facilities are there but it’s the tourism industry that requested for Sanganai/Hlanganani to be held in Harare,” said Kaseke.

Bulawayo has for more than 50 years been hosting the trade fair.

Meanwhile, this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani tourism fair attracted 690 exhibitors with 95 of them being foreign.

“In terms of buyers, Europe had 36, Africa 34, Middle East seven, America two and China one. From a tourism point of view, Europe had the highest number of buyers at this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism and this tells us that tourism and politics don’t mix. It means tourism is for people and not for governments. Whatever the governments say, tourists come,” he said.

Due to the illegal economic sanctions imposed on the country by the West, countries in the European Union have demonised the country resulting in negative perception about Zimbabwe.