Malindi, Kenya 29 March 2023 …. Malindi tourism pioneer and founder of Franco Rosso International – one of Italy’s leading tour operators - Franco Rosso died on Monday 27 March 2023 aged 94 in Lugano, Switzerland.
He launched Kenya on the Italian market 50 year ago with the first charter flight from Italy to Nairobi. He first came to Kenya in 1967, accompanied by his late wife, Amalia for a month-long vacation in East Africa and decided to invest in Malindi. He opened his first hotel Tropical Village on Casuarina beach, followed by Diamonds Dream of Africa and the adjacent Coconut and Malindi beach hotel. He opened the fourth property, Sandies Malindi Dream Garden in 2018
Today, Diamond Dream of Africa is Africa’s leading all-inclusive resort being awarded in the World Travel Awards in 2021 and 2022 and Africa’s Leading Beach Hotel in 2012.
He leaves three children Sara, Paolo and Alessandro. The funeral ceremony will be held at the Tempio Crematorio di Lugano, Via Trevano at 14:00 on Thursday, March the 30th followed by the wake at The View Lugano, Via Guidino 29 at 15:00.

In Kenya, a memorial service will be held at 15:00 on Thursday, 30 March at Sandies Tropical Village, Casuarina Road, Malindi.

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ABOUT PLANHOTELS (www.planhotel.com)

Founded in 1997 in Lugano, Switzerland site of the Group’s headquarters, Planhotel Hospitality Group has been operating in the tourism sector for over 20 years as a leading hotel management company for resorts and hotels in the Indian Ocean.
The Malindi resort comprises three properties and is only 15 minutes from Malindi International Airport. The current site – formerly known as Tropical Village - was built in 1973, and management of the resort was taken over by PlanHotels in 1999. A complete refurbishment was undertaken in 2017.
PlanHotels is renowned worldwide for its unique combination of local tradition and Italian style in both its design and guest services, without forgetting its exemplary all inclusive formula. They have properties in Malindi, Kenya; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Mozambique; Maldives, Lugano, Switzerland; and Cortona, Italy.