Sunbird Tourism plc has signed a management agreement with Mtalimanja Holdings to manage newly built Kalipano Country Resort in Dowa as part of its expansion drive.

In a statement yesterday, the Malawi Stock Exchange-listed hotel chain said operations at the resort are expected to start on May 1 2023.

Reads the statement in part: “Sunbird Tourism continues to focus on the expansion of its foot-print and brand extension through management contracts to ensure delivery of a rich and diverse tourism experience for our guests while leading the drive to position Malawi as the preferred tourism destination for economic empowerment and job creation.”

Sunbird said through management contracts, it intends to ensure that the product offer remains attractive to oth domestic and international markets while continuing to target new markets.

The statement further said that under the arrangement, Kalipano Country Resort will have the distinct advantage of leveraging Sunbird Tourism’s significant investment in people, products, processes and marketing to position the business for growth.

“The coming on board of Kalipano ensures that the Sunbird brand is well-positioned with a product that is aligned with current and emerging trends and is a response to development of new markets focusing on responsible, sustainable,as well as community activity-based tourism,” reads the statement.

In an interview yesterday, Mtalimanja Holdings Limited founder and chairperson Napoleon Dzombe said with other businesses to run, it was only proper that management of the facility be given to experienced hands.

He said: “They have been given an opportunity to run the whole hotel on our behalf.

“ It will be proper for them to run the facility because they have experience to run such facilities and how it turn out will depend on how it will be managed.”

Kalipano Country Resort is a 54-roomed resort, with three meeting rooms, bar, indoor restaurant, and offers a wide range of leisure facilities.

There are also activities that include Kalipano Dam for experiential fishing, agri-excursions, outdoor swimming pool, water sports, two event gardens and a planned floating restaurant.

Last year, Sunbird Tourism plc registered a 307 percent profit after-tax to K3.1 billion driven by improved revenue, published data shows.

During the previous year, hotel chain registered a profit of K749 million.

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