Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi, the Chief Tourism Officer at RDB said: “We see AHIF as an excellent platform to meet many of the most important decision makers and investors, who have the power collectively to influence investment in the hospitality industry in Africa.
“We are determined to build relationships and showcase Rwanda as the right place to do business and therefore we believe that hosting the event will create an opportunity for local hotel developers to forge partnerships with investors.”
AHIF brings together the leading international hotel investors in Africa with local operators, ministers, government officials and industry experts, to discuss all aspects of hotel investment and operation in Africa.
In Africa as a whole, Travel and Tourism is
seen as a highly attractive growth industry. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), it is responsible for 8.1% of GDP and it is forecast to rise at 4.9% per annum until 2025.
RDB is government institution that is mandated to fast track the economic development of the country by enabling the growth of Private Sector through investment and job creation and export.
The decision to host AHIF also underlines a clear strategy by the government’s determination to attract investment in the tourism sector.
In signing the agreement to bring AHIF 2016 to Kigali, all parties committed to pursuing five goals, which include:
These are, supporting hotel and infrastructure development within Rwanda and across Africa; promoting Africa to the international hotel investor and operator community; educating the hotel investment community about the tourism potential of Africa; facilitating networking between African stakeholders and the international community and supporting Rwanda’s ambition for growth through travel and tourism.
Similarly, Rwanda’s tourism sector continues to grow positioning itself as the leading foreign earner for the country. For the financial year 2013 to 2014, the sector registered a three per cent increase in the number of visitors to Rwanda. These numbers grew from 1.14million visitors to 1.2 million visitors also accounting for an increase in revenue from $293.4m in 2013 to $303m in 2014.
In Rwanda, leisure has been a major driver of Rwanda’s tourism industry. Currently, the country is focusing on Meetings Incentives Conference and Exhibitions/Events (MICE) tourism, capitalising on safety, developed infrastructure, accessibility and new entrants in the hotel industry such as the Marriott, Radisson Blu, Radisson by Park Inn, Sheraton, Golden Tulip, Kempisnki and Zinc, amongst others. Hosting the AHIF will no doubt contribute growth of Rwanda as a leading MICE destination in the region. Later this year, Rwanda will host Interpol AGM, World Economic Forum on Africa in 2016 as well as Africa Union Summit in 2016.
Jonathan Worsley, Chairman, Bench Events, the company that organises AHIF and other top international hotel investment conferences, said: “I know of at least three hotel projects in Rwanda that came about as a consequence of a conversation at AHIF.I have every confidence that the proactive approach that is being displayed by the Rwanda Development Board will pay off, as all the major hotel chains are seeking new opportunities in Africa – and one of the most crucial issues for them is to find public sector partners that are making a serious effort to speak their language.”
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