Showcasing the Best of Zimbabwe’s Tourism Industry – Sanganai /Hlanganani Expo!

September 26, 2023

The 16th Edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani-World Tourism Expo, the leading tourism exhibition in Southern Africa, is set to take place from 12 to 14 October 2023, in Bulawayo at the prestigious Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre also known as the Trade Fair Grounds.

• The forthcoming edition has a total of 276 exhibiting organizations, but registration is ongoing as the target is 300 exhibitors. Amongst the exhibitors are 29 regional organizations coming from South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia. Their presence adds a rich tapestry of cultural experiences to the showcase and opens up exciting possibilities for continental tourism collaborations. The participation of these organizations is testament to the growing significance of Sanganai/Hlanganani as a key event on the regional tourism calendar and the country’s engagement efforts.

• As the tourism sector, we are also looking forward to host 85 buyers from our traditional and emerging source markets namely: America, United Kingdom, China, Asia and the Pacific, Australia and Africa, evidence of the Expo’s increasing international appeal. We are still having more buyers expressing interest. The buyers embark on pre and post familiarization tours of the various tourism destinations across Zimbabwe. This is expected to generate interest in the destination so that they consider Zimbabwe in their tour packages be it to the region or to Africa.

• Moreover, both international and local media will be part of the expo with international media coming from countries such as the United States of America, China, United Kingdom and South Africa. The media will also take a tour of Zimbabwe so that they can tell the true Zimbabwean story.

Exhibition Stands by Category

1	Accommodation	61
2	Tour Operators	53
3	Car Hire and Transport Operators	6
4	Publicity Associations and District Councils	15
5	Airlines	12
6	Service Providers and Suppliers to the Tourism Industry	43
7	Associations & NGO’s	6
8	Parastatals and Government Institutions	19
9	Tertiary Institutions	12
10	Foreign Stands	29
12	Media	3
13	CBTEs	3
14	Conference and Events Planners	4
15	Provinces	10
	TOTAL	276

The 2023 edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani – World Tourism Expo is riding on the successes of the previous editions despite a drawback caused by the covid 19 pandemic. During the previous edition,

Over 2000 tourism professionals converged in Bulawayo for the event
Over 100 international buyers and media attended the event
Over 350 trade visitors participated
Over 3000 face to face engagements were done during the course of the show
Over 20 Foreign Exhibitors
And over 500 000 total digital media reach combined with UGC

The Gastronomy Tourism product launched by the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, has contributed to growth of Sanganai/Hlanganani – World Tourism Expo 2023 as food enthusiasts are also converging to showcase the different traditional cuisines.

LEAD GENERATIONS

The number of leads or contacts obtained during the exhibition is an important metric. This includes business contacts or due diligence on prospective business partnerships.

As alluded to earlier, 3000 face to face meetings created leads and future business. In 2023 we look forward to over 4 000 face to face meetings owing to the increased number of exhibitors and local corporates speed networking.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The exhibition contributes to the Tourism recovery plan to achieve a 5 Billion USD economy by 2025.
Tourism Industry Development: the exhibition helps in fostering the development of the local tourism industry, with initiatives that aim to support local businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, provide training and education opportunities for the workforce. Additionally, the exhibition can attract foreign investment to the sector.
Airlines: Air Zimbabwe increased its capacity and frequency during the Sanganai days and this generated extra revenue for the national airline
Increase in room occupancies during the Sanganai week ranging between 92% and 98% in Bulawayo
Employment creation: Short term employment for service staff at main hotels to serve the demand during expo days
The exhibition aligns with the tourism policies and regulations set by the government. Supporting the growth and development of the tourism industry, such as visa facilitation, safety and security measures, or infrastructure investments.
Tourism Industry Development: the exhibition helps in fostering the development of the local tourism industry, with initiatives that aim to support local businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, provide training and education opportunities for the workforce. Additionally, the exhibition can attract foreign investment to the sector.
Policy Advocacy: efforts or policy discussions will take place during the exhibition. This includes panel discussions, workshops and seminars focused on addressing key issues in the tourism.

The significance of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo extends beyond the exhibition space. It serves as a prime networking opportunity, connecting industry players with potential buyers and partners from around the globe.

Programme of events

Buyers and media cocktail – This is a networking platform for all, be it local or international participants in a relaxed environment.

Official Opening and Awards Ceremony – At this event, the travel expo is officially opened and at the same time awarding the tourism sector for their efforts in contributing to the growth of tourism. Various categories are lined up to award those that would have done exceptionally well during the exhibition.

Public Day – Saturday which is not a business day will be open to the public for a fun filled event with a lot of prizes to be won.

Running alongside the exhibition will be forums and workshops that will tackle different topics from Tourism Investment, Importance of aviation in tourism development to Tourism career guidance for our future tourism leaders. The workshops lined up are as follows:

12 October: Breakfast Meeting with the Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Stakeholders. This session is a platform, we have created so that I get to meet the industry and share my vision for the sector.

12 October: Aviation Development Forum: This session will focus on local routes development and the role the industry has to play in supporting new routes which are critical to the development of the sector

13 October: Tourism Investment Forum – This session will highlight tourism and hospitality investment opportunities. We have both local and international investors who will attend the event

14 October: Tourism Career Guidance workshop – This session is for youths who are already studying tourism and hospitality courses. They will get insights from experts on the different careers to specialise on and what it takes to be an established professional or entrepreneur

Lastly, I am inviting all Zimbabweans, whether you are an industry professional, a potential buyer, or a visitor seeking unforgettable travel experiences, this is an event not to be missed.

For more information, visit the official Sanganai/Hlanganani-World Tourism Expo website at www.sanganaitourismexpo.com