Fastjet Zimbabwe Teams Up With ZTA to Spotlight Sanganai Expo and Boost Destination Visibility
A powerful new alliance between Fastjet Zimbabwe and the country's Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), is set to bring renewed energy to one of Southern Africa's most anticipated travel trade gatherings. The two partners have joined forces to promote the upcoming Sanganai / Hlanganani / Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo 2026, reinforcing a shared commitment to expanding tourism, strengthening air connectivity and positioning Zimbabwe as a leading destination on the continent.
The Expo, which will take place in the historic city of Masvingo from 9 to 12 September 2026, is expected to draw regional and international tourism professionals eager to explore Zimbabwe's rich portfolio of attractions and its evolving trade opportunities. As part of this new partnership, Fastjet Zimbabwe will incorporate special in-flight announcements on selected flights across its network, giving passengers a live introduction to Destination Zimbabwe and generating buzz around the Expo well before delegates arrive in Masvingo.
For African travel professionals, this collaboration illustrates something increasingly important in modern destination marketing: the power of aviation as a storytelling channel. Aircraft cabins are, in effect, captive marketing environments where travellers are already primed to think about their next journey. By using this space intelligently, ZTA and Fastjet are turning ordinary flights into miniature promotional platforms that speak directly to the very audience most likely to book Zimbabwean travel experiences.
Speaking on the announcement, Fastjet Zimbabwe Business CEO and Country Head, Donahue Cortes, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. He noted that the airline's route network has been carefully designed to showcase and provide access to Zimbabwe's leading tourist attractions, cultural sites, heritage locations and gastronomic experiences. In his view, the collaboration offers Fastjet an important opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth of Zimbabwe's tourism sector, an industry that has become central to the country's broader economic strategy.
ZTA Chief Executive Officer Dr George Manyaya highlighted the deep interdependence between aviation and tourism, calling air connectivity a key catalyst for tourism growth and central to positioning Zimbabwe as a regional hub for both leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism. He explained that aviation connects markets, while tourism creates the demand that sustains those very connections. Fastjet's decision to promote Destination Zimbabwe and the Sanganai / Hlanganani / Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo in-flight, he added, offers ZTA a high-impact platform to inspire journeys, boost destination visibility and drive visitor arrivals.
Dr Manyaya's remarks touch on a theme that resonates strongly across sub-Saharan Africa's travel industry. Too often, tourism boards and airlines operate in parallel silos, missing valuable opportunities to amplify each other's messages. This Zimbabwean partnership offers a practical model for how national tourism authorities and domestic carriers can work together to unlock greater economic value, drawing new visitors while enriching the passenger experience for those already flying.
The Sanganai / Hlanganani / Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo itself has long served as a cornerstone of Zimbabwe's international marketing calendar. Bringing together tour operators, destination managers, hoteliers, airlines and industry buyers, the Expo functions as a vital meeting point where deals are struck, partnerships forged and new products showcased. Hosting this year's edition in Masvingo — a city rich in cultural and archaeological significance and home to the iconic Great Zimbabwe ruins — sends a clear message about the country's determination to spread tourism benefits beyond the traditional hotspots of Victoria Falls and Harare.
For agents and operators across the region, the partnership signals that Zimbabwe is doubling down on its ambitions to become a premier tourism destination and a serious contender in the MICE space. It also serves as a reminder that innovative, low-cost marketing collaborations between airlines and tourism boards can produce impressive returns without requiring huge budgets.
As Africa's travel trade prepares for the year ahead, the Fastjet-ZTA alliance stands as a compelling example of how aviation and tourism can move in lockstep to deliver stronger destination visibility, greater visitor arrivals and lasting economic benefits. The wider industry would do well to take notes, as similar partnerships across the continent may soon become the new standard for smart destination promotion.
