Angola building hotels as oil boom fuels demand

LUANDA – Booming Angola is building dozens of hotels and guesthouses to meet rising demand that has pushed the price of a room in the capital Luanda to US$250 (N$1 750) per night, the country’s tourism minister said on Friday.

The southwestern African state also needs thousands of new hotel rooms to accommodate visitors to an international diamond summit in 2009 and the African Cup of Nations soccer tournament, which it will host in 2010. About 2 000 people have already registered for the summit.”Angola – it’s a product everybody in the world is after right now, everybody wants to be here,” Minister of Tourism Eduardo Chingunji told Reuters.”The number of arrivals is very big in terms of meetings, events and conventions.As a result, we have to immediately tackle the problem of accommodation.”Angola – sub-Saharan Africa’s second largest oil producer after Nigeria – is enjoying a massive reconstruction boom after a devastating 27-year civil war ended in 2002.The country’s economy is forecast to grow by more than 31 per cent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, driven by rising oil output, although local forecasts have put growth somewhat lower.Oil companies including Total and BP have big operations in the country.But business executives complain about the scarcity of hotel rooms in Luanda, saying that even at around US$250 per night they are often unable to find accommodation.It is not uncommon to hear of visitors having to share rooms in the capital.”If you have one person coming over, it’s usually possible to find a room.But you have to book at least six weeks in advance if you have a delegation coming in,” one western businessman, based in Luanda, told Reuters.”We often have to delay meetings, or even cancel them.It’s extremely difficult to combine hotel rooms, flights and visas for group visits,” he added, requesting anonymity.Visitors to Angola complain of bureaucracy in obtaining visas as well as difficulty getting seats on flights which are often over-booked.Ministry officials said some 39 new hotels of different categories are set to open in Angola over the next two years, representing an investment of around US$500 million.They will offer 2 015 extra rooms and create 2 374 new jobs.”We can no longer afford to lay back and wait for others to solve these issues,” Chingunji said.”That’s why we are spearheading this and making sure that within the next two to three years we have all these hotels.”Nampa-ReutersAbout 2 000 people have already registered for the summit.”Angola – it’s a product everybody in the world is after right now, everybody wants to be here,” Minister of Tourism Eduardo Chingunji told Reuters.”The number of arrivals is very big in terms of meetings, events and conventions.As a result, we have to immediately tackle the problem of accommodation.”Angola – sub-Saharan Africa’s second largest oil producer after Nigeria – is enjoying a massive reconstruction boom after a devastating 27-year civil war ended in 2002.The country’s economy is forecast to grow by more than 31 per cent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, driven by rising oil output, although local forecasts have put growth somewhat lower.Oil companies including Total and BP have big operations in the country.But business executives complain about the scarcity of hotel rooms in Luanda, saying that even at around US$250 per night they are often unable to find accommodation.It is not uncommon to hear of visitors having to share rooms in the capital.”If you have one person coming over, it’s usually possible to find a room.But you have to book at least six weeks in advance if you have a delegation coming in,” one western businessman, based in Luanda, told Reuters.”We often have to delay meetings, or even cancel them.It’s extremely difficult to combine hotel rooms, flights and visas for group visits,” he added, requesting anonymity.Visitors to Angola complain of bureaucracy in obtaining visas as well as difficulty getting seats on flights which are often over-booked.Ministry officials said some 39 new hotels of different categories are set to open in Angola over the next two years, representing an investment of around US$500 million.They will offer 2 015 extra rooms and create 2 374 new jobs.”We can no longer afford to lay back and wait for others to solve these issues,” Chingunji said.”That’s why we are spearheading this and making sure that within the next two to three years we have all these hotels.”Nampa-Reuters