The Sunday Mail
Carren Mushonga
AFRICA Albida Tourism (AAT) has completed refurbishment work at The Boma in Victoria Falls.
The development has seen the restaurant getting a fresh look and feel.
Its new décor now captures the style of the traditional Zimbabwean cooking hut.
Among other structural enhancements, the restaurant’s kitchen has also been refurbished.
According to AAT, the massive rehabilitation programme cost them at least US$250 000.
Completion of the exercise complements the hospitality group’s overall extension drive, which has seen them pouring over one million dollars into the expansion and renovation of their facilities.
AAT says the refurbishment was done to keep pace with the growing popularity of this great Victoria Falls dining and entertainment experience, which opened its doors 27 years ago.
ln a statement, the hospitality group’s chief executive Mr Ross Kennedy said the refurbishment was made possible by a tourism boom during the past year.
“The levels of business experienced in 2018, coupled with the growth in the previous two years, led us in making the appropriate investment decisions to equip The Boma for the next five to 10 years. Keeping pace with the latest equipment and service delivery expectations, while maintaining the tastes, sights and sounds of The Boma were key factors in this major project,” said Mr Kennedy.
By sprucing up its image as well as adding new activities and accommodation options, AAT has immensely contributed towards boosting tourist arrivals in Victoria Falls.
The tourism group is currently experiencing one of its best business periods in close to a decade.
Its flagship property, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, is currently enjoying occupancies of over 80 percent.
“The main kitchen was rebuilt and new equipment was installed. Structural changes and enhancements were made to the serving area. We now have new granite surfaces and refrigeration of the salad and dessert bars is top notch,” he said.
The interior designer, Ms Belinda Jones, said the decor’s concept came from the traditional cooking huts, and it was an amalgam of different Zimbabwean tribes.
“The Boma staff love it. It reminds them, especially the entrance, of their grandmothers’ huts. The traditional art form of decorating the walls and shelves with bright pigment goes back a while, but it is now being revived as a new art form,” she said.
AAT is also involved in a number of social responsibility activities such as anti-poaching and waste recycling. The tourism group has a huge portfolio which includes the Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suits, Lokuthula Lodges as well as Ngoma Safari Lodge in Chobe, Botswana.
