Page 19 - Meetings Zimbabwe 2nd Edition

Location is key at A’Zambezi
After a good first half of 2014, August was the boom month for hotels at Victoria Falls, with occupancies outpacing the previous year by more than 15 per cent, reaching above 77 per cent across all grades of accommodation.
Harare hotels fared less well although maintaining similar levels of business to 2013, but overall, increasing revPAR (revenue per available room) is encouraging investment in the sector, with a focus on upgrading existing inventory rather than immediately adding more rooms.
Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) which operates seven hotels in five locations has reported business up around seven per cent overall for 2014, according to ceo Tendai Madziwanyika: “Domestic traffic has grown marginally, but overseas is outpacing this with an increase in revenue of $1.2million,” he said.
“A’Zambezi in Victoria Falls was up 50 per cent, mainly from leisure but we are seeing the resumption of big group movements – and hosting the Jehovah’s meeting benefitted our Harare hotels and proved a testcase and measurement of our readiness to cater for big events.”
To accommodate for potential growth in both the meetings and corporate sectors, Madziwanyika said conference facilities were bring upgraded at the flagship Rainbow Towers & Conference Centre in Harare: “We will be changing seats, PA systems and translations booths as well as finishing the upgrading of rooms here and introducing world-class wi-fi.”
For African Sun, a new product recently introduced is the Kings Club wing at The Kingdom at Victoria Falls, offering airport transfers, a personal hostess on call, private express check- in and check-out, free sundowners and snacks as well as king beds, enhanced bathroom amenities, free mini bar, fruit basket and sparkling wine and private balcony or deck.
For Cresta, expansion is on the cards ‘if the right opportunity comes up’, according to ceo Glenn Stutchbury, who said they had
“Domestic traffic ha“s grown marginally, but overseas is outpacing this” Tendai Madziwanyika, RTG
identified potential in the under-represented three-star market as well as burgeoning MICE sector.
“Our Sango Conference Centre at the Cresta Lodge in Msasa has been very well received,” he said, adding that the introduction of the UNIVISA was expected to boost incentive and meetings traffic.
Meanwhile, for Africa Albida Tourism (AAT), a $1million upgrade of its 72 rooms has been completed at its flagship Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, while six two- and three-bedroom Safari Suites have been added as a boutique option to cater for small groups of up to 20.
“In 2015, we will have a breather to consolidate operations, and then in 2016, we have plans for more suites, two presidential suites at the Victoria Falls Safari Club and four more units at Chobe,” said ceo Ross Kennedy.
Additionally, the group is involved in the development of the Santonga eco-park at Victoria Falls, aiming to encourage visitors to extend their stay in the area with facilities reportedly including a 600-seat drumbeat amphitheatre, reptile park, restaurants and retail, and flora and fauna, history and heritage displays and animal ‘shows’, with an opening initially scheduled for 2016.
New for 2015, Wilderness Safaris will open the Linkwasha Camp in May in Hwange National Park, designed to complement its two existing properties in the concession and offering seven en-suite double or twin luxury tents and one family tent, to cater for up to 18 guests.
The group has also introduce a ‘Star Bed’ experience in Hwange, allowing guests to sleep al fresco on a viewing platform outisde its Makalolo Camp ... with qualified guide on standby for any assistance.
Meetings Zimbabwe 2015 19