What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

[Tshukudu]

Thanks for all your hard work and effort H.

Welcome Dereck

[H. erectus]

Hi Derrick, ,...Split your time and shave to us some moments!!

Thank you for getting "on board", ...

[H. erectus]

Some time this week, Derick wishes to further complete
documentation and work in order to move in a direction
which will summarize a task, toward possible completion
of this contentious issue!!

Any comment here???

[Richprins]

I think, regarding DEA and SANParks' verbosity regarding the sustainability of communities etc., one may focus a bit more on why a foreign company should benefit and extrude South African income from the Malelane Hotel?




CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group, whose brands include Regent, Radisson Blu and Park Inn on Monday announced its 50th hotel deal in Africa — the Park Inn by Radisson in Kigali, Rwanda.

The group had planned to reach this target at the end of 2015, but the deal saw it making it two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule.

The hotel is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2014. The group also has a Radisson Hotel in Kigali under development, which is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2014.

Carlson Rezidor is one of many international and South African hotel groups which is rapidly growing its African portfolio in light of rapid economic growth on the continent.

Protea Hospitality Group recently signed a deal that will see it too moving into Rwanda — its 10th African country.

Carlson Rezidor’s 50th hotel deal brings the total number of rooms in the group’s African portfolio to more than 11,000 rooms in operation and under development across 21 countries.

Andrew McLachlan, the group’s vice-president of business development in Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, said reaching the milestone ahead of schedule "indicates Africa’s potential for growth and the markets’ readiness for international branded and operated hotels".

Carlson Rezidor has opened Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson hotel properties in key cities across the continent over the past three years, including Addis Ababa, Lagos, Lusaka, Maputo, Dakar, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

"Over the next 24 months we look forward to opening more signature Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson’s" in cities including Freetown, Nairobi, Kigali, Libreville, Marrakech and Hammamet," Mr McLachlan said.

While the long-term goal was to have a Carlson Rezidor property in every major city in Africa, the key markets for short-term expansion were Nigeria and South Africa, he said.

According to professional services firm PwC, the Nigerian hotel market is experiencing a corporate-travel-driven boom, and although a difficult market to operate in, it offers attractive opportunities for major operators.

PwC hospitality and gaming leader Nikki Forster said in June that while South Africa’s hotel groups were more upbeat about the outlook for the local industry, a cautious stance needed to be maintained about introducing new stock. Meanwhile, the Nigerian market was "still operating below its potential" despite significant growth in room numbers.

PwC projects that by 2017 average hotel occupancies in South Africa will have risen to 68.7% from 56.5% in 2012, while average room rates will have grown 5.4% compounded annually to R936 in 2017 from R718 in 2012.

According to Rezidor Hotel Group president and CEO Wolfgang M Neumann, Africa makes a compelling case for further hotel investments.

"Aside from the continent’s wealth of natural resources and wide-scale stability in political and economic systems, there is an imbalance of demand and supply when it comes to modern, internationally branded hotel rooms," Mr Neumann said.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/africa/africanb ... -in-africa

[Richprins]

There may also be serious questions regarding the intimations by Mr Thakhuli and Mr Phaala that the hotel is set to undergo construction next year, regardless of EIA as per a few pages back!

Also questions as to why SANParks have now budgeted to pay for the park and ride facility in 2014...originally the responsibility of the developers in 2009.

[Ecotourism Solutions]

Hi All,

Just a quick response to the confusion relating to the funding made available by SANPArks for the Park and Ride Facility.

It was always the intention for SANParks to provide funding for this facility. SANParks vision is to build Park and Ride Facilities at all the busy access points to the park to minimise traffic impacts. Therefore, they will be investing in these facilities in other areas as well.

I hope this clarifies this aspect.

[Penga Ndlovu]

All fair and well but I will NOT go to a park where I cannot drive by myself and neither will the bulk of the SA people.

That I can assure them.

My clients have also said a big NO to this kind of practise.
So they will loose a hell of a lot of money this way.

Dumbasses.

[Richprins]

Hello, Dereck! This is the first time the Park and Ride has specifically been budgeted for, in the 2013/14 books, and only Malelane is mentioned? Hence a speeding up of the process?

I can assure you SANParks' main reason for park and ride is to make money, not to ease congestion! They say a lot of things...

[Bushcraft]

Hi All,

Just a quick response to the confusion relating to the funding made available by SANPArks for the Park and Ride Facility.

It was always the intention for SANParks to provide funding for this facility. SANParks vision is to build Park and Ride Facilities at all the busy access points to the park to minimise traffic impacts. Therefore, they will be investing in these facilities in other areas as well.

I hope this clarifies this aspect.

Thanks Dereck, but one thing is confusing for me.

Didn’t SANParks just increase the day visitor quota at all gates, thereby increasing traffic volumes and the park and ride facility was added for those who didn’t meet the day visitor quota.

Therefore SANParks are hardly trying to decrease the traffic volume but rather find a way to increase the number of people after they had already increased the gate quotas thereby finding a way to get more in and make more money, therefore nothing to do with anything except making more money

[Richprins]

Groovy has intimated often over the past few years that SP are hamering most local OSV vehicle operators with whatever added costs and impediments they can think of, and jealously want to take over that lucrative market. Also, to paraphrase what Dereck is trying to say, in the VERY long term self-drive is therefore going to be slowly downgraded.

But as PRWIN said, that will be the mother of all fights!