The Sunday News
Shepias Dube Business Reporter
LEADING hospitality concern Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) has won the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism (ZCT) Achievement in Marketing Award at the inaugural Havergal Marketing Tourism Achievers Awards. The award was sponsored by Havergal Marketing, a Zimbabwean food and beverage products distribution company, with support from Cape Wine and Meikles Hotel.
The Achievement in Marketing Award is presented to the hospitality player which exhibits creative, high quality and extensive marketing coverage in the local, regional and international markets.
In an interview, RTG corporate communications and innovations manager Mrs Pride Khumbula said the award was in recognition of the company’s endeavour to promote domestic tourism.
“One of the key elements in the selection process as highlighted by the judges, was the company’s deliberate effort and investment in the promotion of domestic tourism. This has been achieved through various promotions offered at extremely affordable prices making hospitality services accessible to all,” said Mrs Khumbula.
She said RTG was also commended for its creative and innovative products which include RTG Virtual, Stay Now Pay Later, RTG Auctions and Rainbow Delights Menu which have been launched over the past two years.
RTG won the best accommodation stand at Sanganai in 2014, and 1st runner up for best accommodation stand in 2015.
Mrs Khumbula said the latest award confirms the group’s position as the industry’s marketing leader.
Meanwhile, Elephant Hills in Victoria Falls won the Tourism Business of the Year.
This award was made in recognition of the major effort being made by Elephant Hills to host conferences in their own establishment and in Victoria Falls generally.
Tourism SME of the Year award was scooped by Zambezi Explorer while African Bush Camps Foundation won the achievement in African Bush Camps Foundation.
The Lifetime Achievement Awards went to three hotels which have reached at least a century of continuous operation.
These included the Christmas Pass Hotel, Mutare (1895), The Victoria Falls Hotel (1904) and Meikles Hotel (1915).
Other winners were Elephant camp who won an achievement in the pursuit of service excellence, DMC College for human resources development and Ross Kennedy of Africa Elbida Tourism Group who was voted tourism personality of the year.
Achievement in Environmental Awareness and Action was jointly awarded to the Matusadona Anti-Poaching Unit and the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve.
Matusadona Anti-Poaching Unit was recognised for a high level of action in preserving and enhancing the wildlife and environment of the Matusadona area, and reducing poaching, and the latter for its various conservational activities, most notably the reintroduction of rhino to the Victoria Falls area in recent years.
The awards were introduced by the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism as a comprehensive set of accolades to replace previous awards, and are aimed at recognising people and organisations for efforts and achievement on behalf of Zimbabwe’s travel and tourism sector.
