RTG teams up with Swiss hospitality giant for expansion
RAINBOW Tourism Group (RTG) says it has entered into a strategic partnership with a Switzerland-based hospitality company Grand Metropolitan Holdings (GMH) upon which the two companies will form various joint venture entities.
The entities according to RTG will leverage various opportunities within the hospitality and tech industries throughout the African continent.
Pride Khumbula, the RTG Corporate Affairs and Quality Manager in a statement said in terms of the partnership, the parties will form a Zimbabwean joint venture entity that will identify and pursue new hotel opportunities in Zimbabwe.
They will also form a Sub-Saharan joint venture entity which will focus on various hotel opportunities across Sub-Sahara Africa.
The envisioned key elements of the partnerships include the “formation of a hospitality academy in partnership with a top Swiss Hospitality School which will be a hospitality training hub aimed at expanding the skilled human capital base in the industry and international market,” said Khumbula.
She added that the partnership will also see the creation and development of a digital platform offering innovative solutions to enhance guest experiences and streamline operations whilst focusing on developing advanced technology solutions that integrate technology and hospitality.
According to Khumbula the strategic partnership will position RTG as one of the largest hospitality companies in Africa through expansion which will focus on management contracts, franchises, lease 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 program for African hotels.,” she said.
RTG is one of the largest tourism companies in Zimbabwe, listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange,(ZSE) and has an extensive portfolio of owner-managed and leased hotels and conference facilities throughout Zimbabwe.
Recently, the Company 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.
GMH is a Dutch registered private company with limited liability incorporated under Dutch law and headquartered in Roermond, the Netherlands and has a rich history as an independent White Label Operator with a strong balance sheet, boasting assets exceeding 200 million EUR.