Harare - The forthcoming Sanganayi/Hlanganani Expo, pencilled for June 16-18 in Bulawayo, is set to change the negative perception that people around the globe have about Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) said.
ZTA head of corporate affairs, Sugar Chagonda, said it was important to have people from across the globe coming into the country as they would help undo the negative perceptions and a visit to this premium tourism event would allow them to act as ambassadors to their respective countries.
Chagonda said visitors were likely to gain confidence in the country as a tourist destination after sampling some of the products that the country had to offer.
Chagonda was speaking at the Harare International Airport, soon after receiving buyers from several countries who arrived in the country for the Sanganayi/Hlanganani Expo.
“No matter how much we speak about Zimbabwe, it will not change much, so what we need to do is to have these programmes where we host the international media and buyers because when they come and see for themselves they will have confidence to come to Zimbabwe and market it,” he said.
Chagonda said that as of Tuesday afternoon, 21 buyers had arrived in the country and more were expected to arrive later in the evening. “We have buyers from Italy, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and Botswana, and we are still expecting more buyers. “Between now and Sanganayi, they will be visiting various places on a familiarisation tour so that they actually experience the Zimbabwean product,” he said.
Among the visitors, he said, were 19 international journalists from around the globe who were expected to write about the country from an informed position and help change the perceptions of visitors wishing to travel to the country.
“It is important for us to host international media because the key challenge that we have in Zimbabwe as a destination is the issue of perceptions; how we are viewed in the various source markets.
“So it is important for them to come and see the situation obtaining in the country for themselves so they can have first-hand experience and after that we can expect them to write about Zimbabwe from a well-informed position,” he said.
Chagonda said the expo, which was now running into its eighth year, was one of the key strategies that the country would continue to pursue, adding it was necessary for the government to support the tourism sector and work hand in hand with tour operators.
“We don't need to be doing this only during Sanganayi, we need to have various programmes where we continue to host buyers and international media throughout the year so that people continue to get positive information about Zimbabwe because some of the information portrayed in the media is not a true reflection of the situation on the ground; so we need people to see for themselves so that they can develop that confidence,” he said.
The buyers who came early were expected to visit the majestic Victoria Falls, Kariba Dam and other places of interest where they will meet with various tour operators and business people to get to understand Zimbabwe as a potential tourism destination.
Chagonda said the ZTA was confident that local tour operators would clinch significant deals during the expo that would see the country earning more forex through arrivals and tourism receipts.
Louis Dodgen and Lisa Steffen, co-directors of African Trax, a South African travel company, were upbeat, saying they expected to clinch a number of deals at the expo and bring in tourists to Zimbabwe.
ANA