Zimbabwe said Tuesday it clinched tourism-related inve stment deals worth US$2.3 billion at a travel fair last week.

The country held a four-day travel fair last week, attended by hundreds of inter national investors and exhibitors.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Karikoga Kaseke said a number of deal s to build new hotels and holiday resorts had been signed at the fair.

"The business deals are worth US$2.3 billion of which US$500 to US$600 million w orth of deals are already sealed," he said.

"The investors for the remaining deals are still in the country to conclude fine r details," he added.

Tourism, once one of Zimbabwe's biggest industries, has suffered the most from t he country's unending political crisis in the last 10 years.

There are, however, signs of revival after President Robert Mugabe agreed to for m a coalition government at the beginning of the year.

Kaseke said among the deals were plans to build five-star hotels in the capital, Harare, and the resort town of Victoria Falls.

By Staff reporter and agencies