African Sun Mutare re-brands

Hospitality concern Holiday Inn says plans to re-brand African Sun Amber Hotel Mutare are at an advanced stage, with the process expected to be finished during the first quarter of next year.General manager, Tich Hwingwiri said at an end-of-year suppliers’ cocktail that the hotelier would have three hotels operating under the Holiday Inn brand by March next year.

At the moment the group operates the Holiday Inn Harare and Bulawayo.

“Mutare is currently an African Sun Amber, but we are very much at an advanced stage to the extent that we have signed an agreement to take it back where it belongs which is the Holiday Inn family,” he said.

As part of the re-branding exercise, a bigger conference room was built at the Mutare Hotel as the group was now targeting the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) market.

Players in the sector estimate that Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality industry has potential to generate over $100 million annually from its Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation MICE tourism generates billions of dollars annually and is responsible for generating 45,8 percent of revenues in the hospitality industry. — New Ziana.