Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]

Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) has entered into a strategic partnership with a Switzerland-based international hospitality company, the Grand Metropolitan Hotels BV (GMH) that will position it as one of the largest hospitality companies in Africa.

The Strategic Partnership was expected to be launched and announced yesterday at the Westin Hotel Cape Town, South Africa on the sidelines of the World Travel Market Africa showcase.

The World Travel Market Africa started on Wednesday and ends today.

GMH is a Dutch registered private company with limited liability incorporated under Dutch law and headquartered in Roermond, the Netherlands. 

GMH has a rich history as an independent White Label Operator with a strong balance sheet, boasting assets exceeding 200 million EUR.

Originally established in the 1930s by experienced hoteliers, GMH managed prestigious hotels such as the Grand Hotel Amstel in Amsterdam at that time.

Today, Grand Metropolitan operates as a hotel management firm overseeing a portfolio of over 79 hotels under various business models, including ownership, lease, management, franchise and affiliation.

In a statement, RTG corporate affairs and quality manager, Pride Khumbula said the envisioned key elements of the partnership include the formation of a Zimbabwean joint venture entity that will identify and pursue                         new hotel opportunities in Zimbabwe.

It includes the formation of a Sub-Saharan African joint venture entity that will focus on various hotel opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa, create a hospitality academy in partnership with a top Swiss Hospitality School which will be a hospitality training hub aimed at expanding the human capital base in the industry and internet market.

Added to that, she said the partnership also seeks to create and develop a digital platform offering innovative solutions to enhance guest experiences and streamline operations while focusing on developing advanced technology solutions that integrate technology and hospitality.

The strategic move is aligned with Zimbabwe’s national mantra that the country is Open for Business, emphasising engagement and re-engagement with the global community

“It is important to highlight that the strategic partnership is growth-oriented and specifically for the creation of new value.

“The formation of the Zimbabwe Hospitality Academy is a demonstration of Zimbabwe leading in developing solutions for human capital for Africa by Africans.

“The Academy will also be in collaboration with one of the best hospitality schools in Europe. It also signifies the carrying to fruition of the philosophy by The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr ED Mnangagwa, that Zimbabwe is open for business and the principle of engagement and re-engagement with the whole world,” she said.

“This Strategic Partnership will position RTG as one of the largest hospitality companies in Africa through this expansion which will focus on management contracts, franchises, leases and affiliations as well as the exploitation of online opportunities.

“The partnership will create a digital platform with the ambition to become the online booking platform of choice in Africa through the establishment of an African Heritage Hospitality Collection. This Collection will be a loyalty programme for African hotels.”

Recently, RTG expanded its business scope into the tourism value chain with the launch of its local tour operations subsidiary Heritage Expeditions Africa (HEXA) and its digital platform; the Gateway Stream mobile application, a one-stop online marketplace that offers a diverse range of products, services and experiences.