Zimbabwe will host an international travel exposition from Oct. 12 to 15, an official announced on Friday.

A multi-sectoral national steering committee has been established to improve the standards of the country's premier tourism exposition, the Zimbabwe International Travel Expo, said Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Karikoga Kaseke.

He said the move was meant to boost the tourism showcase and expectations of international, regional and local exhibitors and set to improve the standards of the travel show in a bid to market the nation's tourism industry.

Kaseke said the formation of the steering committee was done at time preparations for the exposition had reached an advanced stage.

The theme of this year's expo is "Tourism enriches, promotes peace and sustainable development". The committee is targeting more than 350 buyers from abroad, a great improvement from last year's figure of 146. So far, 230 buyers have confirmed their participation in the event.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2006)