Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) entered into an agreement with Beyond Communications on
August 1 to start to further awaken the global French-speaking market, which has great tourism
potential, Kennedy said.
“In Europe there are several French speaking markets, France aside, and regionally – the likes of
Mauritius and Reunion … we are aiming to widen our market appeal there and one needs to get
access to the media and the travel trade to get the necessary exposure,” he said.
“We do currently have some French market, but it’s less than we would like and it’s a big
potential market,” he added. “We intend to benefit from growth both in foreign independent
travellers as well as the group and group series markets.
“Our leading supplier in the French market has more than doubled their room requirements for
2024 and this has given us the confidence to invest further,” he said.
With accommodation ranging between three and five star on offer on AAT’s Victoria Falls Safari
Lodge estate, namely Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari
Suites and Lokuthula Lodges, it appeals to a cross section of travellers and budgets, he said.
“We will be targeting those different sectors – some want to spend more money on
accommodation, others want to spend less and then have more budget to do activities or stay
longer, so we will be seeking to maximise those opportunities in these markets,” Kennedy said.
“We are now well down the road from the 2020 to 2022 challenges, the destination is
extremely busy, Victoria Falls has bounced back extensively in the last 16 to 18 months, and we
are seeing much more demand from international markets, and we need to widen our base.
“It’s wonderful for the destination to have more visitors, we have much more air access now
from Johannesburg, Cape Town and the region, Air France and KLM, for example, are now flying
into Johannesburg, with links to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. We are continuing to try to improve
air access from Europe.”
Beyond Communications managing director Celine Planel said: “We are absolutely thrilled to
welcome Africa Albida Tourism to Beyond Communications. This partnership marks a strategic
milestone for us as we open the gates to the vibrant African market, one that we are
geographically and culturally close to as a Mauritian-based company.
“Africa Albida Tourism, a prominent player in Zimbabwe’s tourism industry, aligns perfectly
with the desires and trends of travelers in our target markets. Together, we are set to embark
on an exciting journey, bridging the gap between the French-speaking world and the wonders
of the Victoria Falls region through AAT’s stunning hospitality portfolio.”