Isdore Guvamombe
Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality industry is growing by each day. Despite financial constrains, there has been massive investment in the tourism and hospitality industry, especially by small companies.

Many indigenous Zimbabweans have invested heavily in the industry and are beginning to reap the fruits and the facilities dotted around the country have really made their point. This has given birth to a new generation of hotels and lodges that have ignited the market at the expense of long established tourism facilities.

From Mana Lodge in Harare to Nichrut Lodge in Shurugwi, Pote Hotel and Runde Lodge in Zvishavane, Stallion Lodge in Chiredzi to Victoria Falls Deluxe, among others, the tourism and hospitality industry landscape has changed. There is now real value for money.

The new lodges and hotels have not only come up with aggressive marketing and promotion strategies but state-of-the-art fittings that have redefined hospitality comfort. The recent Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Awards and tourism awards have seen indigenous tourism companies scooping major awards, beating long established facilities.

That alone is testimony of how the new facilities have taken grip of the industry, in a highly noticeable way.

Nichrut lodge

Wherever you go in Zimbabwe new tourism and hospitality structures have come up, taking the limelight from the long established tourism facilities.

Zimbabwe still has a lot of small but highly attractive tourist attractions that are yet to be explored, give the country more investment opportunities.

Of late, the country has witnessed the establishment of new facilities that are ultra-attractive and are beating conventional hotels and lodges at their game.

With access to state-of-the-art fittings from the Far East, the new generation of hotels and lodges have become the mainstay of the tourism and hospitality industry.

The new generation is giving long established hotels and lodges a run for their money. While the conventional hotels are stuck in the past, the new generation is moving with world trends.

There is more comfort in the new generation of hotels than in old ones. Interior decor in the new facilities is awesome. It is beyond diction.

The new hotels and lodges, have, besides bringing new ambience through fittings and architectural splendour, brought an affordable pricing regime that is forcing many long established hotels to rethink and spruce up or be left out.

The new generation is advertising big time, too. Most hotels and lodges have in the past been out-pricing themselves in terms of accommodation and food but the new generation facilities are more affordable.

In a way the new generation facilities have forced long established hotels to come up with marketing promotionals that have seen prices go down for longer period than ever before.

The future survival of the long established hotels and lodges will depend on how they will regenerate themselves. As for the future, only time will tell.