Africa’s premier hotel investment gathering, the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) is expected to take place in 2 African cities this year. The event is expected to attract top-level gathering of investors, developers, and business leaders in the hotel and hospitality industry from within and outside Africa.
A recent report from the organizers said that the 2020 edition of the AHIF will be taking place in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivore from March 23 to 25, 2020, at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire. The second one will be held from October 6 to 8, 2020, in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain (FIHA) will take place at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, with the support of the host sponsor, Accor, reports said.
Uniting North and West
A successful AHIF was organized for French-speaking African states in February of 2019 in Marrakech. The event was co-hosted with the Moroccan government and attracted over 300 delegates from 28 countries from Africa and outside the continent.
The AHIF organizers are now looking to unite North and West African countries, mostly the French-speaking nations. The event aims to develop their economies and support hospitality investment through business networking under the patronage of AHIF.
“Selecting Cote d’Ivoire to host FIHA is proof that the country deserves its ranking as [the] third most important destination in Africa for business tourism. It also demonstrates investor confidence in our ambition to boost our tourism and hospitality industries,” Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism, Côte D’Ivoire, said.
“It will be an opportunity for the sector to showcase its potential, projects, and tourism assets. Our ‘Sublime Côte d’Ivoire’ tourism strategy aims to propel tourism as the third pillar of our country’s economy. We look forward to welcoming the most influential industry players at our forthcoming event in the dynamic city of Abidjan,” the Minister said.
Growth in Abidjan
Abidjan stands among exciting African cities for hotel development. The current overall hotel supply on the Ivory Coast remains limited, despite significant growth since the end of the political crisis.
The city of Abidjan is re-establishing itself as a commercial center, assisted by Africa’s second biggest port, a growing airport with direct connection to the USA and good quality infrastructure for meetings, conferences, and exhibitions.
AHIF connects business leaders from the international and local markets, driving investment into tourism projects, infrastructure, entertainment, and hotel development across the region.
The events also connect key international and regional stakeholders as well as private and institutional investors to hotel developers and operators that are fueling growth of the hotel industry across the continent.
