Swedish conglomerate, Rezidor Group AB, has focused on the growth of its African chain in recent years, with the group seeking to tap into the growing business travel within and into the continent. In addition, according to the group’s senior vice president for Africa, Andrew McLachlan, growing demand for well-known accommodation brands, such as Rezidor’s Radisson Blu hotels have stimulated the group’s interest in expanding its Africa section, Reuters reports.
With reference to the recent past, present, and future, these are some facts and numbers that show just how keen Rezidor is on tapping into Africa’s hospitality industry.
- For the last two years, every 60 days Rezidor has opened a new hotel in Africa, according to McLachlan.
- Rezidor’s regional support office in South Africa employs dozens of staff, up from just three employees a decade ago.
- The group will, on completion of its current construction work in Kenya, have opened 3 hotels in 3 years in Kenya. The first is a five-star hotel under its Radisson Blu brand in Nairobi last year, to cater for wealthy clients. The second hotel, a Park Inn Radisson, with 140 rooms for mid-scale consumers in a smart suburb of the city.
- The group is planning to build five more hotels in both Tanzania and Ethiopia in the expansion phase.
- Currently, the group has 16,500 rooms in Africa. By the end of 2020, it plans to increase this number by 60% to 23,000 rooms.