Mphoko commends Bulawayo

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has commended the Bulawayo community for supporting the 9th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Travel and Tourism Expo.

Officiating at the expo at the ZITF grounds, Mphoko who was represented by the Minister of State in his office Tabeth Kanengoni-Malinga, said he was impressed with how Bulawayo supported the expo given the importance of tourism in the national economy.
 
He said the tourism sector has the capacity to transform the economy of Bulawayo which has seen a number of companies scale down operations recently.

He noted that Bulawayo which is the country's cultural and heritage capital could bond well with the Matopos and the country's tourism hub the Victoria Falls to benefit from the tourism earnings.

The Vice President also reaffirmed that Sanganai/Hlanganani expo is a national event that must be well-resourced given the its importance in the national economy.

"The government has an obligation to fund the expo," said Vice President Mphoko.

He said given the growth of the tourism sector in the world economy, Zimbabwe must invest huge resources so as to nourish its gross domestic product from proceeds of tourism.

The Vice President also committed government to instituting measures that will facilitate ease access to Zimbabwe as a destination.

These measures include easing of entry requirements, reforms in the visa regime and the adoption of the open skies policy.

The media was also implored to play a leading role in supporting the growth of the tourism sector given the sensitive nature of the sector to media reporting.