Oliver Kazunga — Hospitality concern, Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) recorded a 36 percent growth in hotel occupancy in the first five months of this year to 60 percent, underpinned by sustained brand visibility and a buoyant domestic tourism market.
In the corresponding period last year, RTG's occupancy rate stood at 44 percent. This comes after Zimbabwe's tourism sector experienced a remarkable increase in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of the year.
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZImStat) reported that 409 979 foreign travellers visited the country in the quarter to March 2024, representing an 83,2 percent jump from 211 054 in the same period last year.
Since Covid-19 was put under control, more travellers are expected to traverse the world, with 10,5 million flights anticipated in the third quarter of this year, according to a survey by BloombergNEF, which will benefit major tourist destinations globally, including Zimbabwe.
The International Air Transport Association anticipates record passenger numbers this year and planes that will be about as full as before the respiratory disease virus outbreak, using record amounts of fuel.
Speaking at the group's annual general meeting held in Harare on Monday, RTG chief executive officer Mr Tendai Madziwanyika said despite the operating environment during the first quarter of the year being characterised by exchange rate instability, increased energy costs and erratic power supply, among others, his organisation managed to navigate the headwinds.
Among other initiatives, he said RTG has embarked on a clean energy strategy with the introduction of a solar plant at Kadoma, and the launch of the new currency, the ZiG is expected to bring exchange rate stability.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe launched a new domestic medium of exchange, which is backed by gold, other precious minerals and foreign currency reserves to foster exchange rate and price stability.
"Talking about performance in the first five months of 2024, our occupancy was at 60 percent and this is up from 44 percent in the same period last year. You know when you start talking about 70 percent or 80 percent, you are talking world-class, and so 60 percent is quite exciting," said Mr Madziwanyika.
Due to various interventions, RTG has adopted in response to the macroeconomic environment, the group's market share during the period under review, which stood at 30 percent, from 28 percent in the same period last year.
"Our fair share in the market is 25 percent. In other words, if we were to look at the number of rooms that we have -- compared to the number of rooms that are in the country inclusive of competition, our share of total rooms will be 25 percent.
"But our actual share stands 20 percent ahead of our fair share, in other words that means your business is generating 20 percent and thus as a brand we are outperforming competition."
"Our share of voice has gone up from 33 percent to 39 percent. Share of voice is that measure that says out of the articles that are generated on tourism, what is our share -- how much of the articles and the statements and everything being generated on tourism in this country is about RTG.
"That means 39 percent is RTG-related and that's incredible. Out of all the players in tourism, close to half of the messages are about this company."
RTG's tone of voice, during the period under review, stood at 100 percent.
"Tone of voice is a measure to say out of the 39 percent that we are saying is share voice, how much of that is positive because you can have a large share of voice but with some of the things negative, and that is not good for branding.
"Our tone of voice is now 100 percent. In other words, all the articles in this period about RTG were positive and that is how we drive the brand," said Mr Madziwanyika.
In 2020, the group invested US$4,6 million in the re-fashioning of 183 guest rooms and installed two brand new hi-tech elevators at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.
The Presidential suite at the hotel was completed in the fourth quarter of last year and at the moment work is in progress to complete the remaining 72 rooms that will be converted to six diplomatic suites and 48 standard rooms.
By mid-July all rooms at the Rainbow Towers Hotel, which will host delegates attending the SADC Industrialisation Week, and investment conference at the end of next month would have been renewed.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
In an interview after a tour of the 4 500 seater Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) at Rainbow Towers Hotel where the SADC Investment Conference will be held, Mr Madzianyika said: "We are going to be changing all the carpeting and chairs in the HICC.
"We will do it in time for the SADC Industrialisation Conference. We can assure you that it will be done. All these chairs (on the ground floor) will be done around July 2 and after we finish, we are going to do all the chairs that you see up there."
Apart from the HICC, some of the rooms at Rainbow Towers Hotel are being redesigned to accommodate Heads-of-State who will be staying there during the conference.
At least 150 companies are expected to be in the country during the investment conference period with at least 300 participants from the private sector as well as other stakeholders from the public sector, academia and development partners.
There will also be a dedicated pavilion for regional investment promotion agencies from SADC countries.
