2023 will mark the start of a year with more connections for ANEW Hotels & Resorts as it announces its ambition to reach total capacity of 2 000 rooms in the year and to further expand its footprint to the Free State, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.
“We have a vision of going global, but in a South African context,” said the group’s Sales and Marketing Director, Alan Campbell, highlighting that ANEW was on the verge of announcing its 16th property.
He did not elaborate on the news property but said 2023 would be the test of what the group was about. “ANEW Hotels & Resorts has been slamming its own records year-on-year since 2019. We are spending a lot of time preparing for 2023. 2022 was a recovery year and we recovered beyond our expectations. 2023 is a return to normalcy for us, which is to say, a return to our norm of striving to be better, with more value and even better guest experiences.”
Campbell said ANEW’s priorities for the year would be marked by three things. "It will be a year of building connections: connecting with other brands in innovative and technology-driven ways, by connecting with clients and employees in meaningful ways that enhance their day-to-day experience of ANEW, and connecting to the international travel market in a way that opens up our incredible country to a vast global audience.
"We’re going through some stats at the moment and we have seen a 340% growth in traffic and engagement from foreign countries, which is very exciting for us ahead of 2023. We’re looking to connect to more channels from around the world, from loyalty programmes to new distribution partners that we are now beginning to attract as we grow to a critical mass.”
People/culture ‘fundamental aspects’
ANEW Director of People, Culture, and Development, Kevin Burley, commented that culture and its people were fundamental aspects of the group.
“Personally, for me, I’m excited about 2023. After two years of disruption and the unknown, it does appear that things are settling down and becoming ‘normal’ as we move forward as a company. The thought of concentrating on people and culture is motivating as we aim to repair the negative impact of the last few years and make a real positive difference in the people space.”
He pointed out that it had always been ANEW’s aim to focus on its ‘family’ by growing and developing future leaders. “We are building a brand-new team: HR and Development specialists who will support us as we move forward to achieving our goals.”
