Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Knowledge Mazvarira
19 August 2008
Harare — At least 8 300 square metres of space have already been booked for this year's edition of the newly born Sanganai World Travel and Tourism Africa Fair scheduled for October, making the travel fair the biggest in Africa in terms of space bookings, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority boss Mr Karikoga Kaseke said last week.
He was speaking at the launch of the travel and tourism fair, formerly the Zimbabwe International Travel Expo.
"Given the figures that we have just received this morning (last Friday), we can safely say that our new-born baby has emerged the biggest travel and tourism fair in the continent in terms of space bookings up from position five.
"This marks a difference of almost 3 000 square metres from South Africa's Indaba, traditionally ranked the biggest, which booked around 5 500 square metres this year," said Mr Kaseke.
He indicated that the authority had given itself a three-year leeway that would see Sanganai being the biggest travel and tourism fair in Africa by 2010.
However, Mr Kaseke said massive marketing strategies by the authority through its perception management programmes had boosted chances for the realisation of the desired result much sooner .
Last year about 71 exhibitors were turned away due to space limitations, a development that has paved way for the relocation of the fair to a more accommodating venue - the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre (ZIEC) in Bulawayo.
"ZIEC in Bulawayo presented itself as the only suitable venue to accommodate the growth of the travel expo.
"Thus, eventually ZTA and Zimbabwe International Trade Fair entered into a partnership to run the tourism trade fair at the ZIEC. "The combined experienced expertise as well as an excellent spacious venue will propel this tourism trade fair to the top-of-the-world tourism and travel fairs," explained Mr Kaseke.
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