Eastern Highlands charm tourism buyers
A DELEGATION of 10 Sanganai/Hlanganani international tourism buyers who visited the Eastern Highlands last weekend was left awestruck by the unique tourism attractions and natural wonders that the region offers.
The international buyers comprised mostly of tour operators and travel agencies from Germany, United States of America, India, South Africa and Tanzania.
They toured the Eastern Highlands from Friday to Sunday as a pre-tour of the 15th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo that kicked off yesterday (Thursday) at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo. The expo is running until tomorrow (Saturday). The Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo is an annual event organized by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) which has over the years grown to become one of Africa’s premier tourism business exchange forums.
It showcases the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products and attracts international visitors and the media from across the world.
The international buyers described the Eastern Highlands as a sleeping tourism giant with great potential. Throughout the weekend, they toured various tourist attractions and had site inspections of hotels and lodges in Nyanga, Mutasa, Mutare and Vumba, which are the prime tourism destinations in the Eastern Highlands. The first port of call was Nyanga District where they visited Nyanga National Park and hiked Nyanga Mountain, which is Zimbabwe’s highest mountain, reaching a peak of 2,592m.
They also visited Nyangombe Falls in Nyanga and Mtarazi Falls in Mutasa District.
At 772 metres, Mtarazi Falls is the highest waterfalls in Zimbabwe, the second highest in Africa and the 17th highest in the world. Some daring buyers tried out the skywalk and zip-line activities over the scenic Pungwe Gorge at Mtarazi Falls.
On Saturday, the delegation visited the National Art Gallery of Manicaland and
Mutare Museum before going for more relaxing outdoor activities at Lake Alexander in Mutasa.
They also had speed boat rides at Small Bridge Dam and Lake Alexander.
Afterwards, they had an African barbecue experience at Lake Alexander Country Resort, a new luxury resort overlooking the lake which is expected to be officially opened soon.
On Sunday, the international buyers went to the scenic Vumba Resort area. They inspected some of the lodges and hotels in the mountainous area known for hiking, mountain biking, bird-watching and scenic drives.
They also enjoyed a close contact game viewing experience of ostriches, zebras and giraffes, among many other animals in Vumba.
The delegation then left for Masvingo on Monday, in transit to Bulawayo for the expo. Ms Gulzar Sayed of Regency Travel in India who was visiting Africa for the first time was dazzled by Zimbabwe’s warm hospitality.
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