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NewsDay

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Hlanganani/Sanganai Expo uptake surpasses expectations

Business
PREPARATIONS for the 10th edition of Hlanganani/Sanganai World Tourism Expo are progressing well, with 240 companies having registered so far to participate, organisers of the event have revealed.

PREPARATIONS for the 10th edition of Hlanganani/Sanganai World Tourism Expo are progressing well, with 240 companies having registered so far to participate, organisers of the event have revealed.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

The expo, to be hosted from September 27 to October 1 in Bulawayo, is the country’s premier travel and tourism showcase that is now officially recognised on the world tourism calendar and has been successfully hosted annually for the past decade.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) head of corporate affairs, Sugar Chagonda, told NewsDay, in emailed responses, that preparations for the expo were progressing well.

“We are seamlessly working together and co-ordinating with our industry,” he said.

“Morale is relatively high in the camp and everyone is looking forward to a more productive expo building from the successes recorded at the last edition.

“We currently have 240 companies that have registered and we are only left with 300 square metres.

“We have more exhibitors than what we expected and we are now working on managing space in order to accommodate everyone who has registered.”

Chagonda said they were more excited this year because operators had taken up big stands compared to previous years.

“It’s more than we had anticipated,” he said.

“We are now putting final touches on educational programmes. Our target was 270 buyers from across the source markets and we have gladly surpassed that number.

“Bulawayo tourism operators have also responded considerably well,” Chagonda said.

“We have had an amazing response from Bulawayo, as the figure has risen from 19 to 93 operators.

“We would like to pay homage to the tourism industry in Bulawayo for responding swiftly and positively to our call.

“This goes to show the extent to which they are serious about the expo itself and the revival of the tourism economy in this important region.

“If the positive response from Bulawayo is anything to go by, then we are looking forward to another fruitful expo.”