Namibia to showcase opportunities in hospitality sector

Namibia will showcase its investment opportunities during the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF), to be held in Windhoek from 25 to 27 June.

This was said in a statement yesterday by Nangula Uaandja, chairperson and chief executive of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), which is co-hosting the event.

“The government has implemented the International Tourism Revival Initiative, with key objectives including creating new tourism routes and expanding tourism product offerings, including the establishment of the Namibia Convention Bureau aimed at branding and promoting Namibia as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions destination,” said Uaandja.

“This has opened up unique investment opportunities that further enhance the attractiveness of Namibia as an investment destination. We are looking forward to showcasing some of these opportunities which hold immense economic potential at AHIF 2024. Our team at NIPDB is always ready to help investors to have a seamless entry and ensure a soft landing in Namibia,” she said.

According to a statement issued yesterday by AHIF founder Matthew Weihs, more than 300 hospitality industry delegates from over 50 countries will meet for three days of high-level networking, formal business meetings and discussions of the latest trends and developments in the sector.

He said AHIF is the most influential annual gathering of hospitality industry investors, business leaders, government officials, bankers and expert advisers on the African continent.

This is the first time the event is coming to southern Africa, after Namibia won the bid to host the forum last year and already O&L Leisure has started the ball rolling, injecting a N$500 000 sponsorship for the forum.

According to the statement, topics expected to be high on this year’s agenda include active development, financial institutions, artificial intelligence, authentic leisure, aviation connectivity, conservation and demographics.

Also lined up for discussion are female power, government initiatives to support hospitality, hotel development, hotelification of the workspace, international and lifestyle brands, investing in Namibia, the new global geopolitical order and its impact on hospitality, new ventures, optimal capital structure, people, resorts, sustainability and more.

“Prominent speakers include Namibia’s environment, forestry and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta and several top executives who, between them, have the power to transform a destination by funding projects, create thousands of employment opportunities and boost international tourism, which is a major source of export revenue for many African countries,” said Weihs.

They include TUI Blue managing director Artur Gerber; Kasada Capital Management managing partner and CEO Olivier Granet; Millennium Hotels and Resorts and Lakhraim Group CEO Fahad Kazim; Middle East, Africa and South-West Asia IHG Hotels and Resorts managing director Haitham Mattar; Accor Middle East and Africa chief operating officer Paul Stevens and many more high-calibre executives.

Weihs added: “Namibia’s confirmation that the president will headline the AHIF agenda leaves me feeling optimistic about the country’s commitment to its tourism and hospitality sector.

“His presence not only signals that Namibia values the international hospitality investment community, but it also reinforces everything we have heard from our hosts about wanting to create a thriving visitor economy,” he said. – email: matthew@namibian.com.na