The Sunday Mail
Mtandazo Dube
CRESTA Hotels last weekend relaunched its Cresta Oasis Hotel and Apartments after a year-long refurbishment exercise which saw bedrooms, public areas and conference rooms being overhauled.
A new, bigger conference facility was also created while a touch of class to the old night club saw the birth of an exquisite new bar and entertainment centre.
Refurbishment of the hotel began a year ago and was completed this month, upon the satisfaction of stakeholders.
Officially relaunching the hotel, Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Priscah Mupfumira praised the Southern African hospitality giant for showing confidence not only in a rebounding tourism sector but the policies of the new dispensation.
“The confidence that has been shown by Cresta Hotels in the tourism sector in particular and the country in general, through this major renovation project, is highly commendable and should be emulated by other operators,” said Minister Mupfumira.
The minister shared positive growth figures which show that the tourism industry is on an upward trend not just in Zimbabwe but in the world.
“Globally, ladies and gentlemen, tourism continues to experience growth and deepening diversification, and has become one of the fastest growing economic sectors contributing significantly to socio-economic development.
“According to the latest United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) barometer, international tourist arrivals grew by a remarkable six percent in 2018 to reach a total of 1,4 billion. Coming back home, tourist arrivals to Zimbabwe reached 2 579 974 in 2018, six percent up from the 2 422 930 received in 2017,” she said.
Cresta Hotels is a leading hospitality concern not just in Zimbabwe but in Southern Africa, with five hotels in Zimbabwe, 11 in Botswana and one in Zambia. Locally, they undertook refurbishment works for Cresta Lodge in Harare, Cresta Churchill in Bulawayo and Cresta Spray View in Victoria Falls, as the company strategically positions itself to take advantage of the current recovery of the tourism sector.
Speaking at the same event, Ms Chipo Mandela, the country director for Cresta Hotels, told guests that the hotel, which was opened in 1975, now has five high-end digital smart rooms. Smart rooms require no human interface from check-in to check-out.
“At Cresta, we are excited by the prospects for growth and development in travel and tourism that have opened up over the past couple of years. We are ready and able to play our part in supporting the national drive to make travel and tourism one of the leading economic contributors, if not the leading economic powerhouses of the country,” said Ms Mandela.
Winky D performing at the event
The relaunch was attended by members of the diplomatic community, parliamentarians, senior Government officials and Masawara group chief executive, Mr Shingai Mutasa and his wife, among other guests.
