THE Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) said this week it was still looking for investors to construct a hotel at Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport, which is being transformed into a multi-faceted aviation facility.
Several investors have expressed interest in the construction of the hotel.
But, Tawanda Gusha, chief executive officer at ACZ, told the Zimbabwe Independent that: “There has not been much movement.
However, we are pursuing other initiatives to have the hotel constructed.
“Currently, there is a feasibility study going on. There are also potential partnerships that we are pursuing. I will provide details in due course,” he added.
Last year, Gusha said an international leisure brand had expressed interest in constructing the hotel at the RGM International Airport.
At the time, he said proposals had been lodged with the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency.
In neighbouring South Africa, major hotels are strategically located close to airports like the Oliver Tambo International Airport to improve travel convenience.
Gusha said ACZ was also constructing a VVIP pavilion at the airport.
“Currently, refurbishment work is underway in the old international terminal building and the domestic terminal building,” he said.
“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,” he added.
The plan is to build a five-storey, 150-room hotel at RGM, complete with a golf course, an aquarium and conferencing facilities.