News / Local
ZITF abandons plans to construct hotel
12 Nov 2015 at 20:57hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company says there is no need for it to build hotel to cater for clients attending it's annual exhibition because Bulawayo's local hospitality industry can provide sufficient accommodation.
Responding to questions at a presser on the 2016 ZITF preparations Thursday, ZITF General Manager, Nomathemba Ndlovu, said the company had discovered it did not make business sense to construct a hotel yet there were many available alternatives to provide accommodation.
She said contrary to beliefs there was a shortage of accommodation in the city, especially during the annual fair period, accommodation was adequate.
"We carried out an investigation on the possibility of having a hotel but from the feasibility study discovered there was actually no shortage of accommodation," Ndlovu highlighted.
The ZITF boss did acknowledge the company had earlier spoken of its intentions to have a hotel constructed but from the feasibility studies it conducted, leant it was unwise to do that.
Ndlovu noted from studies conducted, hotels in the city had an operational 30 percent, which meant it was busy during certain periods while there was a lull in other times.
"This justified that ZITF doesn't need a hotel. The consultation noted there would not be an in increase in demand in the next 10 years," she said.
Ndlovu said besides ZITF clients were well catered for by city lodges, safaris and hotels.
"There is excess accommodation, actually if we take the private homes that register with ZITF to provide accommodation is more than the demand and this takes care of the hotel inquiry. We probably don't need a hotel at this stage," she said.
The ZITF can however focus on upgrading its conference facilities and make sure they are of international standard, Ndlovu said.
"This might be of service, generate interest and people can make use of this throughout unlike a hotel that will not be fully utilised across the year," the ZITF boss said.
City hotels and lodges make brisk business for the local hospitality industry during the annual trade fair, as they use opportunity to hike up prices.
Exhibitors usually book well in advance of the trade fair and by the beginning of April there would be no room for accommodation.
The 57th edition of the 2016 ZITF wil run under the theme: Optimising assets to obtain economic value. Three fundamentals – innovation, regional integration and industrialisation form the basis of the theme.
ZITF will run from April 26 to 30, 2016.
Responding to questions at a presser on the 2016 ZITF preparations Thursday, ZITF General Manager, Nomathemba Ndlovu, said the company had discovered it did not make business sense to construct a hotel yet there were many available alternatives to provide accommodation.
She said contrary to beliefs there was a shortage of accommodation in the city, especially during the annual fair period, accommodation was adequate.
"We carried out an investigation on the possibility of having a hotel but from the feasibility study discovered there was actually no shortage of accommodation," Ndlovu highlighted.
The ZITF boss did acknowledge the company had earlier spoken of its intentions to have a hotel constructed but from the feasibility studies it conducted, leant it was unwise to do that.
Ndlovu noted from studies conducted, hotels in the city had an operational 30 percent, which meant it was busy during certain periods while there was a lull in other times.
"This justified that ZITF doesn't need a hotel. The consultation noted there would not be an in increase in demand in the next 10 years," she said.
Ndlovu said besides ZITF clients were well catered for by city lodges, safaris and hotels.
The ZITF can however focus on upgrading its conference facilities and make sure they are of international standard, Ndlovu said.
"This might be of service, generate interest and people can make use of this throughout unlike a hotel that will not be fully utilised across the year," the ZITF boss said.
City hotels and lodges make brisk business for the local hospitality industry during the annual trade fair, as they use opportunity to hike up prices.
Exhibitors usually book well in advance of the trade fair and by the beginning of April there would be no room for accommodation.
The 57th edition of the 2016 ZITF wil run under the theme: Optimising assets to obtain economic value. Three fundamentals – innovation, regional integration and industrialisation form the basis of the theme.
ZITF will run from April 26 to 30, 2016.
Source - Radio Dialogue
