African Eye News Service (Nelspruit)
Rodrick Mukumbira
5 June 2001
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe — Zimbawean tourism authorities are setting up special tented safari camps along the upper Zambezi River to cope with an expected flood of European 'solar eclipse' tourists.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) public relations director Leslie Gwindi said on Tuesday that hotels in the popular Victoria Falls, Chirundu, Mana Pools, Mount Darwin, Centenary, Guruve and Rushinga districts were already 70% booked and were expected to be fully booked during the three-minute eclipse on June 21.
A special national ZTA committee has already signed agreements with the national oil procurement company to ensure adequate fuel supplies in the area, she said, and police have deployed extra personnel in the event of political unrest in the region during the eclipse.
Immigration, customs and excise departments have also, she said, pledge cooperation and some communities in remoter districts are even converting local schools into temporary lodges for lower budget travellers.
Gwindi added that French hospitality giant Groupe Accor had meanwhile refurbished the A'Zambezi River Lodge in Victoria Falls as its first venture into the Zimbabwean tourism market.
Groupe Accor assumed management of A'Zambezi after securing a 35% stake in Zimbabwe's Rainbow Tourism Group earlier this year, and has already renamed the three-star lodge as the Hotel Mercure A'Zambezi.
The lodge is the first of RTG's hotels to join Groupe Accor's family of 650 Mercure hotels across the world and is expected to be followed closely by the Rainbow Hotel In Victoria Falls, Bulawayo Rainbow, and New Ambassador Hotel in the capital Harare.
RTG group chairman Ibbo Mandaza told African Eye News Service (AENS) the phased rebranding exercise would help lure European tourists who were already familiar with Mercure's product in the EU.
Mandaza stressed each hotel would retain its distinct character, but said Mercure specialists had been seconded to improve food and beverage management, and guest services. - African Eye News Service
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