Zimpapers Logo

Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter

THE Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) is readying for the 12th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Travel and Tourism Expo scheduled for September 12 to 14 at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo.

In an interview, HAZ president Mr Innocent Manyera, said the region was now geared up for Africa’s premier business exchange.

“I would say the region and other support regions are prepared to host this year’s edition. All efforts are underway to make sure we give the fair the deserving attention to market our products as well as Zimbabwe at large,” he said.

Regarding accommodation rates during Sanganai/Hlanganani, he said they would be determined by the demand during the travel fair.

“The issue to do with accommodation rates is mainly determined by the demand and supply which are key market fundamentals to determine prices.

“During the Sanganai/Hlanganani there is generally high demand on almost all products in Bulawayo which on its own moves prices upwards,” he said.

“Also the cost of doing business on its own plays a role on the price of the final product. Like in our own case we have prices of fuel, gas, electricity among other things adjusted recently due to inflationary pressures.

“Worst case scenario is that we now rely more than 50 percent of the day on diesel-powered generators which on its own is scarce and expensive compared to electricity.”

Mr Manyera said most bookings were paid for and visitors had agreed with the offer from operators.

“What we do is we benchmark our accommodation rates with other regional shows which most visitors are familiar with to make sure we remain competitive,” he said.

He, however, hoped that the fuel situation would improve in the build-up to the tourism fair.

“We just hope that the relevant authorities will make fuel available for visitors and exhibitors as well as improve on the electricity situation during the days and beyond,” he said.

According to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, already over 250 exhibitors have registered for the showcase with about 20 countries having confirmed their participation including India, China, Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.

“This is going to be a three-day event in which we are trying to promote Zimbabwe for MICE (Meetings, Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions).

“We are promoting Zimbabwe as a MICE destination where people come and converge. They must also take this opportunity to do business and we want to use this event to further promote that idea, especially with the fact that this exposition is registered under the United Nations World Tourism Organisation calendar,” said the ZTA head of corporate affairs, Mr Godfrey Koti. — @okazunga