Vic Falls Safari Lodge to get Induna Club

Ground has been broken and construction is underway for a new wing of rooms at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (VFSL) in Zimbabwe. The 16 rooms and four suites are a US$3m investment by the Africa Albida Tourism Hospitality Group (AAT) at its flagship property and will open in August as a luxury private facility named The Induna Club.

This will bring the total number of quality rooms at VFSL to 92.

The thatched African-style lodge opened in 1994 with 72 rooms and has consistently earned awards and accolades.

Ross Kennedy, the chief executive of Africa Albida Tourism, said: “Victoria Falls is a ‘must-see-in-your-lifetime’ destination and we’re sure the Induna Club will enchant and attract more discerning international travellers seeking an extra dimension of luxury and superior service.

“Such a significant investment reflects our supreme confidence that the revitalisation of Victoria Falls and of our country Zimbabwe as a global tourism jewel is well underway.”

Evidence of this is the increase in the number of foreign independent travellers and success in attracting conferences, such as the Africa Travel Association (ATA) in May and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly in 2013.

Kennedy said the Induna Club would provide the Victoria Falls area with a “new and superior product that will compete with, and surpass, the best. It will be a VIP premium experience with larger, more opulent rooms and high impact that will delight our guests.”

The rooms will be 50% larger than the current rooms at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. An exclusive club ethos will be reflected in features such as butler service, private check-in and check-out and a “feel-good” multi-functional area that includes a bar, lounge and terrace.

When in full flow Victoria Falls is more than twice the size of Niagara Falls and a mile wide. A World Heritage Site, it has as an advertising slogan that proclaims “now in its 150 millionth fantastic year.”

Kennedy says: “Just stand there and gaze, smell, listen….you know instinctively that you’re experiencing something extraordinary in terms of the wonders of our planet. In a more humble but sincere way we also want our guests who experience the new Induna Club to be amazed and delighted about a new level of accommodation and service at Victoria Falls.”

The annual JWT Global Travel Trends Report is also making bold predictions for 2012. The recently-released report states: “An increasingly hot tourist spot will be Zimbabwe – home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls. The country also has some of Africa’s best game parks; the economy is stabilizing and, as more tour operators resume Zimbabwe tours, travellers are on the uptick. The country has the potential to once again be among the top tourist destinations in Africa.”