ZIMBABWE is set to realise business worth more than US$300 million accruing from the recently held sixth edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani-World Travel and Tourism Africa Fair.
This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke at a press conference held in Harare as the curtains closed down on the successful three-day event.
The Sanganai/Hlanganani expo is a platform for various countries to network for the purposes of promoting tourism.
This year, 1 400 exhibitors, 90 buyers and international media from Italy, Iran, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya and Malawi among others, attended the expo which ran under the theme ‘Celebrating Africa’s cultural diversity’.
Speaking during the event, Kaseke said there is need for the country to quickly develop strategies that will further promote the tourism industry.
“We need to expedite the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events-MICE strategy and implement it and ZTA will ensure that packages are also extended to locals making tourism accessible to the people at home,” Kaseke said.
“You may be aware that with Sanganai having grown over the years, exhibition space has become small and we are happy that Government has indicated that it will provide funding for space to use for the next Sanganai event.
“This will ensure we have proper exhibition space and putting that structure in place will be determined by Government giving us the funding.”
Kaseke said this year’s edition was successful as it had managed to earn more business than that generated last year.
“We have managed to strike deals worth between US$280 to US$300 million which is higher than the deals made last year which were valued at US$250 million,” he said.
“We calculate these deals over a period of three years.”
Kaseke indicated that the next edition will be bigger.
“Kenya is starting one this year (their version of Sanganai/Hlanganani) so we want to synergise with them,” he said.
“Next year we will bring double the number of buyers as well as international media.”
Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo said such events as Sanganai give the country an opportunity to tell the true Zimbabwean story.
“This is an important event, which gives us and our country an opportunity to tell the true Zimbabwean story,” said Prof Moyo.
“The Zimbabwean story is about the embodiment of our heritage and the total expression from social and cultural world.
“It is about our heritage and you find it in our historical food, our arts, music, nature, wildlife, values and traditions.
“It is events that have occurred for the past 14 years that have made us famous and the best way that these stories can be told is through tourism because tourism is the only platform to tell the true story which expresses our heritage.”
Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa RETOSA’s director marketing and communications, Kwakye Danker said Southern Africa had become a tourism hub and the 15 countries need to take advantage of the good infrastructure in the region.
“There is great diversity in the region because it is easy to move from the beach to the bush,” said Danker.
“There is abundance of resources which meet the needs of our markets.
“We must therefore promote multi-country packaging from Cape to Cairo, the choice is unlimited as there are 39 world heritage sites in the Southern African Development Community.”
With the rejuvenation of the country’s major markets, arrivals into Zimbabwe are expected to rise with the bulk coming from the East.
Positive results have been recorded from markets like China, Japan and South Korea.
And the positive trends in 2013 are also expected to be further boosted by the improved accessibility of the country as major airlines have returned to ply the Zimbabwean route.
And as stable post election environment and the successful co-hosting UNWTO General Assembly is expected to accelerate the growth of the sector.
The economic growth rate for Zimbabwe is estimated to reach five percent by the year-end and tourism, described as a ‘low hanging fruit’ is expected to significantly contribute to the growth.
According to ZTA’s 2013 first half tourism statistics highlights, the tourism sector will thrive on a growing economy.