THE Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) company says it plans to engage the government and request special economic zone (SEZ) status to increase capacity utilisation and widen its business activities.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
ZITF board chairperson, Ruth Ncube (pictured) told guests at the fair’s official opening on Friday that they were targeting to offer a wide range of mordernised conference facilities, including an 8 000-seater convention centre and a five-star hotel.
“The drive is to increase capacity utilisation of the exhibition centre and to position the city of Bulawayo as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) destination….We have, therefore, dedicated 17 hectares of space for these two projects…” she said.
To this end, Ncube said they issued a detailed proposal for the commencement of the convention centre and hotel as part of the strategic development and mordenisation plan.
She said the responses with the request for proposal were encouraging with inquiries coming from local, international and regional source markets.
“We will be approaching the government shortly to deposit our expression of interest for the granting of special economic zone status for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair for we believe that is well deserved,” Ncube said.
She said their aim was to make ZITF to operate like Durban Exhibition, Cape Town Convention Centre or the Kigali Conference Centre.
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This, Ncube said, would complement the existing tourism operators in Bulawayo given that the city is just a stone throw away from the majestic Victoria Falls, Matobo Hills and Hwange National Park.
