TOURISM VICTORIA FALLS
TOURISM VICTORIA FALLS HAS A NEW LUXURY HOTEL The Palm River Hotel has opened on the banks of the Zambezi River. The vision for the Palm River Hotel was a unique hotel offering luxury without compromising a sense of home comfort; unimpeded views which maintained shelter and privacy; the convenience of a central location preserved within a tranquil bubble. ABOUT SPENCER’S CREEK GROUP Spencer’s Creek (Pvt) Ltd was founded in 1970, and completed its first establishment, Ilala Lodge Hotel, in 1991. The Palm River Hotel marks the group’s second hotel, both of which are located within minutes of Africa’s Natural World Wonder, Victoria Falls. The Palm River Hotel has been developed together with investment partner Old Mutual Zimbabwe Limited. TThe opening of the new Palm River Hotel marked the completion of a project delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and a new chapter for tourism at Victoria Falls. The hotel is a joint investment by Old Mutual Zimbabwe and the Spencer’s Creek Group. Among the guests who attended the opening ceremony of Victoria Falls’ first 73-room hotel on the Zambezi River were the Mayor of the Municipality of Victoria Falls, Cllr Dhlamini, investment partner Old Mutual Zimbabwe, and members of the National Parks and Wildlife Authority. Speaking at the ceremony, Jim Brown, CEO of Spencer’s Creek Group said, “Today we are surrounded by many establishments who have supported our vision of this impressive -million project. The Spencer’s Creek Group has been in the tourism industry in Victoria Falls for 50 years and is renowned for its existing property, Ilala Lodge Hotel, located in the heart of Victoria Falls. We continue to participate, contribute and collaborate with all sectors of local government and the local business community.” Brown noted the project’s duration: “The Palm River Hotel has been a substantial project, running over the course of two-anda-half years. We have endured dire circumstances through the 28 Covid-19 pandemic, which has only further demonstrated our confidence, and the confidence of our investment partners, to achieve this iconic architectural triumph.” The Palm River Hotel opened to the public in December 2021, offering 31 rooms including 28 Deluxe Rooms, a Presidential Suite, an Executive Suite and an exclusive Villa. Phase two of the project will bring the number of rooms to 73 rooms and suites. Brown acknowledged the hard work and resilience of the design and construction teams for their efforts to source materials, skills and labour from within the Zimbabwean borders. “During construction we have employed over 150 building labour and countless skilled senior staff from across the country. Furthermore, the opening of the hotel allows a further 200 employment opportunities for hospitality staff and personnel from within the local Victoria Falls region,” Brown added. Brown credited the return of tourism confidence in Zimbabwe to the ongoing efforts of the government for their vaccine roll-out programme, the relaxation of the Covid-19 protocols and reopening of the land borders for tourism. DESIGN AMBITIONS The vision for the Palm River Hotel was simultaneously simple and complex: a unique hotel offering luxury without compromising a sense of home comfort; unimpeded views which maintained shelter and privacy; the convenience of a central location preserved within a tranquil bubble. The Palm River Hotel has been inspired by the architectural style of the Queenslander, distinct in its savvy use of timber and corrugated iron and its consideration of climatic conditions. Highly-skilled and professional teams of Zimbabwean architects and interior designers have taken these principles and modified them to create a hotel that is at once aesthetic and functional, modern and timeless, cosmopolitan and perfectly suited to the local environment. The innovative blend of traditional East-Coast Australian design and the unique landscape of the upper Zambezi River has resulted in a brand new and distinctive landmark for Victoria Falls. www.palmriverhotel.com
EVENTS AFRICAN EVENTS Global Africa Network (GAN) is the media partner of the following upcoming events: AFRICA ENERGY INDABA Cape Town – 7 to 9 March 2023 The 15th Africa Energy Indaba Conference will discuss, debate and seek solutions to enable adequate energy generation across Africa. A diverse group of luminaries and high-profile speakers will share their real-world insights about the changing energy landscape in Africa. The 8th Annual Africa Gas Forum will be held. The Forum has been created to ensure a balance between country-specific opportunities as well as common issues that affect the whole region such as exploration activity, licensing rounds, development plans and the move to gas, new tax regimes, regional infrastructure projects, pipelines, LNG terminals, security, local content initiatives, investment requirements and other key upcoming projects. In addition to providing a platform for the most groundbreaking and diverse energy panels, the Africa Energy Indaba hosts a two-day energy exhibition where worldclass industry organisations demonstrate their commitment to provide the solutions Africa needs to meet its growing energy demands. For more information: https://energyindaba.co.za/ WTM AFRICA 2023 CAPE TOWN – 3 TO 5 APRIL 2023 World Travel Market Africa is the only event where you can, according to the organisers, simultaneously generate sales leads, launch new products, enter new markets, raise brand awareness, size up your competition, conduct market research, command press attention and develop and maintain relationships. World Travel Market Africa delivers the leading global events for the travel industry. One of six shows in the WTM portfolio, the Africa show was launched in 2014 under the Africa Travel Week umbrella. Join over 6 000 travel industry professionals as they attend Africa’s leading and only business-to-business exhibition for both the inbound and outbound African travel and tourism markets. Mirrored on WTM flagship events like WTM London and the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of Hosted Buyers, Buyers’ Club members, media representatives, pre-schedule appointments, networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors. For more information: www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb.html AFRICA’S TRAVEL INDABA 2023 DURBAN – 8 TO 11 MAY 2023 Africa’s Travel Indaba is an iconic African leisure trade show, owned by South African Tourism, with the specific objective of creating market access for a vast array of African leisure-tourism products. Africa’s Travel Indaba is a three-day trade show preceded by a dedicated Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) which seeks to create a platform for thought leadership, knowledge sharing and obtaining the latest in global trends and local insights. The BONDay programme is developed in close collaboration with global tourism organisations, continental experts as well as industry associations. The trade show exists to provide the ideal platform for African tourism exhibitors to showcase their offerings to international and local buyers, destination marketing companies and leisure tourism services partners. It is the most formidable platform on the continent to meet face-toface with the most influential buyers in the world, and to gain access to Africa’s excellence and its endless possibilities. These are the business opportunities and quality connections that will shape Africa’s tomorrow. For more information: www.indaba-southafrica.co.za/ ENLIT AFRICA CAPE TOWN – 16 TO 18 MAY 2023 Enlit Africa hosts Africa’s entire power and energy industry in this premier conference and exhibition space. As the leading platform, we gather Africa’s energy community for three days to meet and inspire each other in Cape Town. Enlit Africa includes live and digital events, exhibitions, and exclusive one-on-one interviews with leaders in the energy sector, together with product launches, innovative technology showcases and more. For more information: https://enlit-africa.com/ 29
