Thursday, October 5, 2023
The largest tourist and hotel investment conference in Africa, the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), which attracts numerous notable worldwide hotel owners, investors, financiers, management companies, and their consultants, will be held in Namibia from June 25 to June 27, 2024..
The Mövenpick and Mercure hotels in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city, will serve as the meeting place. After being purchased in 2021 by a fund controlled by Kasada Capital Management, the premier independent real estate private equity platform devoted to the hotel sector in Africa, both buildings are currently undergoing a complete renovation. As a result, AHIF will highlight the reopening of both properties.
Nangula Uaandja, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) stated that winning the proposal to host AHIF 2024 is not only a victory for Namibia but also a testament to the future of our country. The international hospitality investment community is cordially invited to learn more about the untapped investment possibilities of our tourism sector. He adds, “Our government is deliberate about sustaining a conducive investment climate, supported by progressive regulatory and policy frameworks, a strong legal system, seamless repatriation of profits and an independent judiciary that protects the rights of all investors, and that allows disputes, if
they arise, to be settled through the courts or international arbitration”
The weekend before AHIF will feature various inspection trips to see some of Namibia’s best hospitality investment projects and tourism attractions. They include spectacular desert scenery, awesome adventure sports and sensational safaris, on which it is possible to see endangered black and white rhino, antelope, cheetah, elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, ostriches and zebras. The trips will not only be educational; they will also provide valuable networking, as participants will also include delegates from AviaDev, Africa’s premier airline route development conference, which will be scheduled at the same venue, at the end
of the week before.
Prior to the COVID-19 epidemic, Namibia’s tourism industry had experienced constant growth. From slightly under 1.2 million in 2012 to 1.6 million in 2019, the number of visitors increased by almost 5% year, according to the country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism. However, the epidemic severely damaged the nation’s tourism sector, with 2020 visitor arrivals falling under 200,000.
Matthew Weihs, Managing Director of The Bench and AHIF’s organizer, Matthew Weihs,
said “We are very excited that AHIF will, for the first time, go to a SADC country next year.
Investing in Africa is all about uncovering and seizing new opportunities. To do that, one
needs to expand one’s horizons by going to different places, meeting new people, and
exploring alternative scenarios.”
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
