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Nelson Gahadza Business Reporter
Zimbabwe’s newest hospitality industry player, Sterling Group of Hotels, says it is expanding its footprint countrywide as part of a strategy to optimise returns from the tourism sector, which has shown signs of recovery since the global relaxation of restrictions to contain Covid-19.
The global tourism industry was the most affected industry by the Covid-19 pandemic after virtually all governments implemented varying forms of travel restrictions.
However, as the pandemic levels have declined, various economies have opened up, allowing physical meetings and travel while Zimbabwe on its part recently hosted the physical edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani – World Tourism Expo after a two-year suspension forced by Covid-19.
Six African countries, namely South Africa, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi participated at this year’s edition of the expo while buyers came from Germany, the United Kingdom, United States of America, the Middle East, Australia and India.
Sterling Hotels sales and marketing manager Mrs Busi Siziba said the hotel group, which currently have properties in Harare and Bulawayo, also exhibited at the recently Sangani/Hlnganani tourism fair and interacted with both local and international buyers.
“The group is expanding with Sterling Castle, a 30-roomed upmarket property under construction in Harare, and intends to roll out hotels in every city, go regional, and then global as a brand,” she said.
The hotel group currently has three properties, encompassing a premium 14-roomed boutique hotel in Borrowdale, another 28-roomed hotel with 18 villas and a conference center in Mvurwi and the new 62-roomed hotel in Bulawayo.
Mrs Siziba said the recently opened Bulawayo hotel has already started taking reservations.
“The investment in Bulawayo has been compelled by the much-needed accommodation in Bulawayo during the annual trade shows such as ZITF and Mine Entra,” she said.
She noted that all three Sterling hotels offer accommodation and conferencing services and in Bulawayo, the company is expanding its product offering.
Mrs Siziba said Sterling Hotels was inspired to participate at the Sanganai Tourism Expo to be part of the tourism recovery story from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 15th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo was held from 13 – 15 October 2022 at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo.
The country’s tourism recovery is anchored on the implementation of the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy, which seeks to grow the tourism economy to US$5 billion by 2025.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in August 2020 launched the tourism growth plan as he led the restart of the sector’s contribution to the national economy after having been heavily crippled by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy is informed on Zimbabwe’s vision to be a prime international tourist destination based in the judicious and sustainable exploitation of the unique assets of nature, culture, heritage and the built environment.
The strategy is riding on Government’s Vision 2030 to become an upper middle-income economy characterized by increased investment, decent jobs and a populace free from poverty and corruption.
Online Reporter