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The event, organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, starts on Thursday at the Exhibition Park in Harare under the theme “Green Tourism Anchoring Economic Growth”.

“I can confirm that some of the exhibitors from Italy started arriving yesterday (Thursday) for the tourism fair. And we expect that some of the participants to this edition of the tourism fair from our source markets such as the United Kingdom, Russia, Malaysia, Germany, will be arriving over the weekend and beyond before the business event kicks off,” said the ZTA spokesperson, Mr Sugar Chagonda, in a telephone interview from Harare.

Exhibitors and buyers for this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani expo are also expected from Iran, United States of America, Indonesia and China, including those from African countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Seychelles, and Sudan.

China will be Zimbabwe’s partnering country at the tourism fair as a result of the Look East Policy adopted by the Government a few years ago.
Mr Chagonda said because of economic sanctions and travel warnings the country was subjected to in the past, there had been little participation by foreign exhibitors and buyers from the source markets.
Mr Chagonda said the fair had registered an increase in the number of exhibitors and buyers compared to previous years because of the improved economic climate as well as extensive marketing programmes by the ZTA.

The tourism sector was expected to grow by 15 percent by the end of the year and so far the sector has registered a 7 percent growth rate. “This year we are expecting more than 500 exhibitors to take part at the fair while at the same time more than 300 buyers are also expected.
“Last year we had 19 foreign exhibitors attending the fair and this time around about 25 international exhibitors have confirmed their participation at the event.”
In 2009, there were 497 exhibitors and 234 buyers that participated at Sanganai/Hlanganani expo.
Tourism is one of the country’s key economic sectors.

The ZTA seeks to promote the growth and development of the tourism sector through Sanganai/Hlanganani as the fair creates a marketing platform for stakeholders in the industry.