PREPARATIONS for Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo are on course with the exhibition scheduled for 18-20 June 2015 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) at Rainbow Towers. Our tourism correspondent, caught up with ZTA Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Givemore Chidzidzi to get detailed information on the upcoming fair. The main objective of this event is to create a business platform for the tourism industry to showcase Zimbabwe’s tourism products locally, regionally and internationally. This year the event has become more focused on business facilitation attracting more international exhibitors and international buyers than last year. Exhibitor recruitment has also focused more on tourism related organisations. The highlight for the exhibition will be the Culinary Expo where countries and specialty restaurants will be participating showcasing their cuisines for business delegates and the public to be able to sample. This is aimed at promoting culinary tourism in Zimbabwe. We are expecting more than 5000 people visiting the fair as Sanganai/ Hlanganai- World Tourism Expo has become one of the must attend fairs on the business calendar for most tourism operators and the travelling public not only in Zimbabwe but also in Southern Africa. This year we have a larger number of high profiled international buyers participating at Sanganai? Hlanganani World Tourism Expo. A larger number of international exhibitors have also confirmed their participation than before. As usual the Sanganai/Hlanganani Catalogue will be made available at the fair to enable international buyers and exhibitors to have comprehensive information of each other. The catalogue is also handy for future contacts. Organisations are also urged to advertise in the catalogue to promote their brands. What other events are you planning for the days around the exhibition? Sanganai will be a hive of activity for the participants. Besides the exhibition itself, there will be a Culinary Expo running concurrently with the exhibition. The public is invited to come and sample the various international cuisines at the culinary expo. There will also be an ICT in Tourism Workshop, the Ministers Round table and also a Career Guidance workshop for the students. Various other activities are lined up for the Public day which is 20 June and families are encouraged to participate. Tourism cuts across all sectors. Almost every other sector has a bearing on tourism, either they benefit from the transactions done by the tourists themselves in the country or they provide services to the tourism businesses. Suppliers of goods and services to the tourism industry are urged to attend Sanganai and meet with the whole tourism industry under one roof. This will enable them to discuss business with them at very minimum or no cost at all. It is expensive to do sales calls around the country to meet the tourism and hospitality operators but Sanganai brings them all together under one roof for everyone. The Sanganai Public day is the day that is set aside for the general public to visit the Exhibition to interact with the tourism industry. It is the third day for Sanganai/Hlanganani, which is on Saturday 20 June 2015. The public have an opportunity to come and see travel packages available at very attractive rates which are good for families. These packages are aimed at promoting domestic tourism in our country and beyond. This day also has an exciting cooking competition happening at the Sanganai Culinary Expo. All food lovers and those who have a passion for cooking can come and taste different dishes and wine prepared by skilled chefs from various specialty restaurants and embassies in Zimbabwe. Entry is free and there will be an entrainment centre for the children with jumping castles, candy floss, waterslides, porpcorn machines and face painting. Various sponsors will be issuing out prizes to the public upon being asked simple questions. The prizes will range from holiday vouchers, meal vouchers, lunch and dinner vouchers, bottles of wine, t/shirts and caps and other promotional materials. What is the significance of hosting the Sanganai Public Day to the exhibition to as a whole as well as to the general public? Domestic tourism plays a very significant role in our country in as far as revenue contribution to the tourism sector and also the economy is concerned. Hence, it is very critical that we have a platform to promote our country’s tourism products to the public who travel.