On a recent visit to South Africa, Virgin mogul Sir Richard Branson told the audience that he could see a Virgin Hotel opening there in the near future, according to a just-published column on the South African business news site Moneyweb.
How serious Branson was isn’t clear, as no deal was cited. Still, this was an intriguing mention given the major endorsement that South Africa recently received from Marriott International.
In April, the Bethesda, Md.-based company that runs or franchises some 4,000 hotels became the largest hotel operator in all of Africa by closing on its purchase of the South Africa-based Protea hotel chain.
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Despite interest from some savvy investors, the MoneyWeb columnist went on to call on the the South African government to boost levels of tourism in the country. The piece sites a consultant’s report that says the number of foreign visitors to South Africa jumped nearly 4% in 2013 – growth, although less growth than the 10% jump the prior year.
Readers: Which hotels do you stay in when you go to South Africa? Why?
