Zimbabwe's ACZ Seeks Investors For Hotel At RGM Airport, Expanding Aviation Infrastructure
The Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) is still searching for investors to build a hotel at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport. The airport is undergoing a transformation into a comprehensive aviation facility, and constructing a hotel is part of the plan.
Although there has been interest from several investors in the hotel project, progress has been slow. Tawanda Gusha, the CEO of ACZ, stated that they are exploring alternative avenues to bring the hotel to fruition. Currently, a feasibility study is being conducted, and potential partnerships are being pursued, the Independent reported.
In the past, an international leisure brand had expressed interest in constructing the hotel at RGM International Airport. Proposals were submitted to the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency. This move follows the example of other countries, like South Africa, where major hotels are strategically located near airports for the convenience of travellers.
ACZ is also working on the construction of a VVIP pavilion at the airport. The refurbishment of the old international terminal building and the domestic terminal building is currently underway. The VVIP pavilion is part of the larger development project at RGM and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Gusha said:
Currently, refurbishment work is underway in the old international terminal building and the domestic terminal building.
The VVIP pavilion has been and is a part of the main RGM development project and it is already under construction and will be completed by June 2024.
We are tendering for the development of a masterplan for RGM, as well as Victoria Falls International Airport and Joshua Mqabuko International Airport in Bulawayo.
We want to start with those three. Their masterplans will inform the kind of investments that we will make at airports. But definitely, we have to develop complementary businesses around RGM and other two main airports.
The vision is to build a five-story, 150-room hotel at RGM Airport, along with a golf course, an aquarium, and conferencing facilities. The aim is to develop additional businesses around RGM and the other main airports in Zimbabwe, creating a comprehensive and integrated aviation infrastructure.
