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Chagonda Sugar

Oliver Kazunga Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has started registering exhibitors and buyers for the Sanganai/ Hlanganani World Travel and Tourism Fair to be held in October. The fair is an annual tourism trade expo organised by ZTA. It showcases the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products, and attracts international visitors and media from across the world. ZTA head of public relations and corporate communications Mr Sugar Chagonda said the two-day business event would be held in Harare from 10 to 12 October.

“We have started recruiting the buyers and exhibitors for this year’s fair, which will be held from 10 to 12 October. We are also working with players in the tourism industry in recruiting the exhibitors and buyers,” he said.

He said exhibitors and buyers at this year’s event were also expected from the country’s traditional source markets such as the United Kingdom, China, Germany, South Africa and Indonesia.

It is hoped that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly that Zimbabwe and Zambia will be co-hosting in Victoria Falls and Livingstone next week would present an opportunity for attracting leading regional and international tourism destinations and markets at Sanganai/Hlanganani.

The last four editions of Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Fair have been a resounding success as leading regional and international exhibitors and buyers converged in Zimbabwe to promote growth and development of the sector.

Last year’s edition of the tourism fair attracted 85 foreign buyers and more than 1 000 exhibitors.
Zimbabwe is the second largest tourism destination in Southern Africa behind South Africa on the back of continued efforts to develop new methods of improving the sector.

In the mid-term national budget, the Ministry of Finance said during the first year, tourist arrivals were estimated to have increased by 17 percent, rising from 767 939 last year to 824 922 during the period under review.

It said Zimbabwe was benefiting from improved arrivals from all major source markets as well as increased regional trade and commerce.