Spotlight TravelExpo at Hyatt Regency Harare
ATTA members meet with Zimbabwe's travel markets at the Spotlight TravelExpo at the Hyatt Regency Harare, featuring over 20 African exhibitors and more than 100 local travel professionals.
The Spotlight TravelExpo presents an excellent opportunity for ATTA members to connect with both the Zimbabwean outbound market for Africa and the domestic travel sector. This interaction is vital for fostering partnerships and exploring new avenues for collaboration within the travel industry. The event takes place at the prestigious Meikles Hotel, now known as Hyatt Regency Harare. This venue adds to the significance of the expo, highlighting the importance of the event in the context of Zimbabwe's tourism landscape. More than 20 exhibitors from various African nations will participate in this gathering, offering a diverse range of travel options and services. Additionally, over 100 Zimbabwean travel professionals are expected to attend, creating a vibrant networking environment. With the support of AZTA and coordination by Tina Pigors from Coordinating Zimbabwe, the expo facilitates trade registrations.
This is an essential step for businesses looking to expand their reach and establish new connections in the competitive travel market. There has been a notable increase in both business and leisure travel from Zimbabwe to destinations across Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Analysts from Simple Flying report that the Johannesburg-Harare route, with 70 weekly flights in June, is the busiest international corridor in Southern Africa. This statistic underscores the growing demand for travel in the region and highlights the importance of events like the Spotlight TravelExpo in meeting this demand. Harare boasts 75 IATA travel agencies and numerous non-IATA travel offices, making this event a fantastic chance for airlines, international tourism offices, hotel groups, and tour operators to forge connections with local travel agencies. This collaboration is crucial for enhancing the travel experience and promoting destinations effectively.
Recent insights from the South African Tourism Insight Unit indicate that Kenya is a popular travel destination for travelers from Zimbabwe. The unit also forecasts that Zimbabwe's outbound market will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, reflecting a positive outlook for the tourism sector. Furthermore, the Spotlight TravelExpo in Dar es Salaam, taking place on September 27 at the Johari Rotana, is nearly sold out; 25 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation. This indicates a growing interest in regional travel expos and the continued importance of face-to-face networking in the travel industry.
