Industry geared up for Hlanganani Expo
BULAWAYO industries should utilise the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo set for this week to showcase, market and exhibit what the city has to offer to both local and international buyers.
The 15th edition of the Expo, taking place at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo will be the first in-person meeting since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It will run between Thursday and Saturday. In an interview, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Matabeleland Chapter chairman Mr Mackenzie Dongo said the Expo will bring various business opportunities to different sectors.
“The Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo makes us, as business, so excited especially given that it’s the first after most Covid-19 restrictions have been eased and it’s a very good opportunity to sell the Zimbabwean story.
It comes with a lot of business opportunities for our members in the hospitality industry, food and beverages, travel agents and transport industries,” said Mr Dongo.
He said as Bulawayo business they were open to partner and welcome investors willing to occupy the investment space available. Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) national committee executive for Bulawayo lodges Mrs Beauty Bhulu who is also the director of Glen Lodge said players in the city had prepared well in advance for the expo and were ready for it to kick start.
“We are looking forward to a very exciting expo that will bring the city alive. Tourism and hospitality players have done their preparations well in advance and will utilise the event to showcase their products. Bookings for the expo will make players’ facilities in Bulawayo more visible,” said Mrs Bhulu.
She said they were geared to showcase what the city has and urged players to also utilise the conferences that will be running concurrently with the expo to attract buyers both local and international ones.
An economist with the National University of Science and Technology (Nust)’s Department of Banking and Investment Promotion, Mr
Stevenson Dhlamini said the expo was going to benefit the businesses in the city in a number of ways.
“Firstly, this is a tourism event on its own as it will bring in foreigners from both regional and international destinations.
This will boost the hospitality industry in the city as well as the entertainment industry. Secondly, businesses offering auxiliary services such as printing will most likely realise a boom in business as the demand for printing promotional material will rise.
Again, the vendors in the city will also realise a boost in business with the surge in traffic caused by the expo.
Above all, the local authority can use the expo to promote Bulawayo and its rich cultural heritage during this expo.”
Banking expert and businessman Mr Morris Mpala said the expo was an opportunity for all the local industries in the tourism sector to be able to showcase what they have.
“This will be the time to showcase what Bulawayo has and the country as a whole, while creating a market for various goods and services that will be on offer.
Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo also creates a networking platform for all tourism actors so that they can understand how other players in the sector around the world are doing it,” said Mr Mpala.
He said there was an opportunity to get investments and learn more on how to improve products and services.
Over 100 buyers from across the world are expected to attend the expo, while at least 250 exhibitors from regional and international markets have registered to be part of the premier business exchange platform.