The Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit did not merely promote Angola as another emerging destination. It attempted something more ambitious: to turn Angola’s tourism potential into an investment agenda, supported by policy dialogue, international partnerships, private-sector engagement and measurable commitments.

With more than 2,000 participants, the summit became one of Angola’s most significant tourism investment gatherings in recent years. It brought together government officials, international institutions, hospitality investors, sustainability partners, local tourism operators, business chambers and global decision-makers around one central question: how can Angola convert tourism potential into bankable investment?

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That distinction matters.

In global tourism, natural beauty is rarely enough. Many countries have coastlines, wildlife, cultural heritage and undeveloped land. What separates destinations that attract capital from those that remain permanently “promising” is the ability to convert those assets into bankable projects, credible partnerships and a clear policy framework.

Angola used the summit to make precisely that case.

Its achievement can be measured across three areas: visibility, credibility and execution.

First, visibility

Angola entered a crowded African tourism investment landscape where countries are competing for hotel groups, infrastructure capital, airline connectivity and destination branding. By hosting an international summit under the Global Tourism Forum platform and attracting more than 2,000 participants, Angola moved from being a country with latent tourism potential to one actively presenting itself to global investors at scale.

The setting mattered. Luanda was not used merely as a backdrop; it was positioned as the political and commercial gateway to Angola’s tourism future. From the welcome programme to the official sessions, the summit projected a message that Angola wants to be seen not only as a resource economy, but also as an Atlantic tourism and investment destination.

Second, credibility

One of the summit’s most important outcomes was the positioning of Angola’s tourism sector within a stronger institutional framework. The presentation of UN Tourism’s Tourism Doing Business – Investing in Angola investment guidelines gave the event a policy dimension that extended beyond speeches and panel discussions. The focus was not only on what Angola has to offer, but also on how investors can understand the country’s opportunities, legal framework, institutional partners and priority sectors.

Those priority areas were clear: ecotourism, nature-based tourism, hotel and resort development, coastal tourism, cultural heritage and historical destinations. In other words, Angola was not selling a vague dream. It was beginning to define investable opportunities.

The summit also gave international investors a clearer sense of political commitment. Angola’s Ministry of Tourism did not treat the event as a symbolic gathering. The presence and active engagement of the country’s tourism leadership sent a clear message that the sector is being taken seriously as part of Angola’s economic diversification strategy.

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Third, execution

This is where the summit proved most significant.

Too many tourism forums end with applause, photographs and little follow-through. In Luanda, the emphasis was placed on moving from promotion to transactions, from conversation to commitments, and from visibility to implementation.

Several memoranda and strategic cooperation initiatives were advanced under the umbrella of Angola’s tourism investment agenda. These included international investment groups, global business networks, sustainability partners and domestic tourism operators.

One of the most significant outcomes was the signing of 11 memoranda of understanding during the summit. That figure matters because Angola does not simply need visibility; it needs a pipeline of partnerships capable of moving the sector from promotion to implementation.

The summit also demonstrated that Angola’s tourism strategy is not centred on one type of investor or one narrow market. It brought together foreign capital, institutional partners and local operators, creating a broader platform for hotel development, destination infrastructure, sustainability and private-sector participation.

This balance between international engagement and domestic participation is essential. Tourism development cannot be imported wholesale. It must be built on local knowledge, local employment and local ownership of the country’s tourism story.

The summit also produced something less visible but equally valuable: a new narrative.

For decades, Angola’s international image has been dominated by oil, reconstruction and infrastructure. Tourism rarely occupied the centre of that story. The Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit helped change that narrative. It presented Angola as a country with an Atlantic coastline, national parks, rich cultural heritage, growing cities and a genuine opportunity to diversify its economy through tourism.

That shift is not merely symbolic. Perception influences investment. Investors rarely enter markets simply because governments say opportunities exist. They engage when they see organisation, accessibility, policy direction and credible intermediaries. In Luanda, Angola began to offer that combination.

The role of the Global Tourism Forum was to act as a bridge between state ambition and global capital. It brought together the language of diplomacy and the language of investment. It helped translate Angola’s tourism potential into a format that international investors, hotel groups, sustainability partners and media stakeholders could understand.

This is platform diplomacy in practice.

Modern tourism development is no longer only about destination marketing. It is about building ecosystems that connect investors, policy-makers, operators, media, airlines, hotel groups, sustainability partners and local communities. The Angola summit worked because it recognised this complexity. It did not reduce tourism to beaches and brochures. It treated tourism as an economic development sector.

Of course, the real test begins after the summit.

Angola must now convert visibility into projects. Memoranda must become implementation plans. Investor interest must become capital allocation. Policy guidelines must become simpler procedures. Local operators must be supported. Infrastructure must improve. International hotel brands must see viable routes into the market. Sustainability commitments must move from conference rhetoric to effective destination management.

But the significance of the summit lies in the fact that Angola now has a stronger platform from which to do that work.

The Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit achieved more than a successful three-day gathering. It placed Angola’s tourism sector firmly within the international investment conversation. It connected the country with institutional partners, commercial networks, hospitality investors and local tourism stakeholders. It gave Angola’s tourism story structure, credibility and direction.

In a sector where perception shapes investment, that is a significant achievement.

Angola is no longer simply a country with future tourism potential. After Luanda, it is a country beginning to build a present-day tourism investment agenda.

And for an economy seeking to diversify beyond oil, that may be the summit’s most important legacy.

L’article Angola transforms tourism vision into an investment agenda est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

In a search for growth, new destinations, and investment opportunities, global hospitality brands are increasingly turning their attention to new, emerging markets. Angola can be considered one of them, among other things, thanks to the reforms undertaken to improve the investment climate and support economic diversification, as highlighted by President João Lourenço during the opening ceremony of the Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit in Luanda.

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On 18 June 2026, three global hospitality leaders participated in the ‘Emerging Markets, Global Brands: The Next Frontier of Hospitality Development’ panel to shed light on the matter. Talking with host Laura Buckwell, Esteban Lozada (Managing Director, Development, North-West, West and South Africa at Hilton Hotels), Wesam Okasha (Head of Global Development for Asia, Greater China and EMEA Regions at TUI Hotels & Resorts), and Erwan Garnier (Associate Vice President for Development Africa at Radisson Hotels) went into the current hospitality opportunities in Angola.

According to Esteban Lozada from Hilton, demand generators, business tourism, leisure demand, airports, connectivity, roads, hospitals, security, stability, and the broader economic ecosystem are some of the key points that are being considered by global hotel brands before expanding into a new market.

With a new international airport, ongoing government efforts to support tourism development, and a rich natural landscape, Angola is ticking an increasing number of boxes. And with several signed hotel projects underway in the country, Hilton is ready to jump onto the occasion, expanding its African network.

Wesam Okasha from TUI, too, underlined the range of possibilities in Angola. For TUI Hotels & Resorts, the country is specifically interesting because of the potential to apply its so-called cluster model, a combination of rooms, experiences, brands, and community-linked tourism development. The diversity of the country, which allows for holidays that include golf, leisure, nature, cultural experiences, as well as iconic attractions, offers the opportunity to offer a well-balanced destination offer.

Moreover, Okasha also praised Angola’s ambition to build sustainable hospitality on all levels. With that in mind, a hotel school is expected to be a part of TUI’s first Angola-based project and should prepare over 2,000 people for the local hospitality sector as part of the brand’s commitment to benefit and involve local communities. As TUI is committed to reaching net zero by 2050, sustainability is expected to be a key point in its Angola-based projects from the start.

Erwan Garnier explained how Radisson has been studying Angola for over a decade, paying close attention to the evolving opportunities and emerging destinations. While stressing that many Africa-based projects don’t materialise due to a lack of funding, development costs, project structuring, and market-specific execution, he also said that these issues can be overcome by working with local investors, talent, and long-term partnerships.

Overall, the panel showed how Angola is currently combining opportunity and readiness, making it an interesting new frontier for hospitality development. However, the panellists underlined the importance of continuing the current development efforts. If so, the future of the hospital industry in Angola looks bright.

L’article Global hospitality leaders identify Angola as promising new frontier for hotel development est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

During his keynote presentation, “Yachts & Floating Destinations: The Missing Tourism Asset of Africa,” at the summit in Luanda, Joujou said marine tourism remains underdeveloped around the world, despite strong demand.

For Angola, tourism has sometimes been described as “green oil,” but Joujou suggested that a country with one of Africa’s longest and most diverse coastlines, at 1600km, should also look to its “blue oil,” tapping into its ocean, coastline, and water-based resources.

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Pointing out that if tourists were asked whether they would like to spend a night on a yacht, most would say yes, Joujou noted that only a small proportion of travellers have actually done so, highlighting that the tourism industry could better structure nautical tourism as an accessible, scalable product.

Yachting, he said, is still too often seen as exclusive and tricky to arrange, associated with private charters, marina operators, technical arrangements and “high barriers to access,” but booking a yacht-based overnight experience could and should become as simple as booking a hotel, villa or resort room.

Nautical tourism could become “simple, visible and bookable,” Joujou said, moving from a niche luxury segment into a major new category of global tourism. Yet, his words come as premium and luxury travel experiences are seeing a surge, meaning there is a balance for stakeholders to strike between creating an offer that can be seen as aspirational, while making it attainable.

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Continuing on the theme of accessibility, Joujou said tourism developers have tended to treat the ocean as a backdrop, entering into what he called a “vertical paradox,” where a small strip of waterfront becomes expensive and desirable, while the marine environment that lies beyond remains underused.

Instead, he said, floating hotels, yacht stays, overwater villas, floating beach clubs, marina destinations, and water-based terminals could all generate tourism value, permitting destinations to expand their hospitality capacity beyond conventional land-based development. The Maldives, Venice, Amsterdam, and Monaco all provide prime examples of a “water-based signature” that can solve land limitations and avoid overbuilding on fragile coastlines, and that Angola could emulate.

The technology and concept for such floating assets already exist, Joujou noted, but now need to be designed in varied sizes and styles, with diverse investment formats, depending on the market, to facilitate commercialisation.

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Connectivity was another challenge identified by Joujou during the speech, but emerging marine transport technologies could change that, he said, pointing to new battery-powered vessels and seaglider-style technologies that are as practical and speedy as a taxi service.

For Africa, avoiding the perception that complex transfer services are required to reach remote nautical destinations could be transformative, Joujou said, underlining the work his firm, V-Marine, is doing in relation to floating terminals as part of the next phase of marine tourism infrastructure that means beach clubs and resorts no longer have to be attached to land.

For Angola, Joujou said, floating terminals present an opportunity to avoid copying traditional resort models and to innovate from the start as a nation capturing attention and capital through a coastline that is vast, visually powerful, and largely unknown to international travellers.

Joujou called on policymakers and investors to see blue water not as the “end of the land” but “the beginning of a new tourism activity” that could become a pillar of Angola’s tourism future.

L’article Angola’s coastline could become Africa’s next tourism asset, V-Marine founder says est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The message has emerged during the Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit in Luanda, where industry leaders argued that MICE should no longer be viewed as a secondary hospitality segment, but a platform for economic development. Speakers said business events can bring decision-makers into the country, stimulate visitor spending, support trade links, and help reshape international perceptions of Angola as a travel and investment destination.

The panel, titled “MICE as a Growth Engine: Events, Business Tourism and Destination Competitiveness,” brought together Frank Murangwa, ICCA Director Africa; Mulemwa Moongwa of the Africa MICE Summit; and Julia Kleber, CEO of Kleber Group. Their discussion centred on how Angola can build a stronger position in the global meetings economy at a time when African destinations are seeking a larger share of international association and corporate events.

Murangwa said Africa accounted for only around four percent of the global meetings market in 2025, underlining both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity. For Angola, he said, competitiveness will depend on more than venues. Air access, visa facilitation, trained professionals, convention bureau capacity, and a sustained international bidding strategy will all be critical if the country is to compete for high-value conferences and exhibitions.

Angola has already taken a significant step with the launch of the Meet in Angola Convention Bureau, which is intended to give the destination a dedicated structure for promotion, bidding, training, and industry coordination. Kleber described the bureau as an important milestone for a country that has historically been better known for oil, gas, and diamonds than for organised business tourism.

Speakers pointed to Rwanda as evidence that African destinations can build international MICE profiles when strategy, leadership and operational discipline are aligned. This echoed comments made during another panel (“Beyond Resorts: Developing Integrated Tourism Destinations”), where Professor Martin Barth, of Swiss hospitality institute SHL pointed to the risk of a spattergun approach that attempts to grow too many segments such as MICE, family tourism, or premium all at the same time with no clear focus. Kigali’s rise as a business events hub was cited as a model for how conferences can generate benefits beyond delegate arrivals, including investment leads, networking, and improved destination branding.

Moongwa said the COVID-19 pandemic had made the value of meetings more visible, after the sudden halt in events exposed their role in supporting hotels, venues, transport providers, suppliers, and jobs. She added that destinations now need to compete not only on infrastructure but on experience design, risk management, and the ability to connect business delegates with culture, gastronomy, nature, and local communities.

For Angola, that could mean using Luanda as a gateway for events that combine formal meetings with curated travel experiences, while also developing local destination management companies, event professionals and supply chains. The panel stressed that human capital will be as important as physical infrastructure because global planners expect reliable delivery, crisis planning, professional logistics, and consistent service standards.

The discussion also highlighted the potential of intra-African meetings. Rather than treating regional destinations only as competitors, speakers argued that countries could generate stronger demand by moving conferences across the continent, building event circuits, and giving airlines clearer evidence of passenger demand for new routes and higher frequencies.

If Angola can translate current momentum into bids, training, partnerships, and repeatable delivery, MICE could become one of the country’s most effective tools for tourism diversification. The opportunity is not simply to host meetings, but to use them to attract investors, extend visitor stays, strengthen regional connectivity, and position Angola more confidently on the international travel map.

L’article Angola looks to MICE as a new driver of tourism competitiveness est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Speaking at the panel event, “Beyond Resorts: Developing Integrated Tourism Destinations,” moderator Michael B. Christides, Ambassador and former Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, said tourism can be one of the most effective drivers of international understanding, but citizens, workers, businesses, conservationists, and cultural and public institutions must participate in its development.

Panel member and Head of Government Relations — Destinations at TUI Group, Vincent Snauwaert, agreed, hailing tourism workers as some of the best ambassadors for any country. He noted that the visitor experience of a destination is holistic, encompassing not only the four walls of a hotel room, but local attitudes, service quality, cultural life, landscapes, and transport infrastructure too. He argued that Angola’s next steps should be to showcase the country as it is, rather than change it.

Snauwert later argued that air connectivity and competition are essential to scale tourism, and that ministerial coordination should support aviation, infrastructure, finance, and tourism policy. Interestingly, his words come as green campaign group T&E has issued new research slamming aviation as a driver of an unsustainable tourism model.

Also speaking on the panel, Prof. Martin Barth, Director of International Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Swiss hospitality management institute SHL, said that Angola has an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of more mature destinations where overtourism and weak planning have created unsustainable pressures.

Like the other panel speakers, Barth emphasised the importance of investment in human resources, rather than bricks and mortar. SHL’s training expertise will be leveraged via a memorandum of understanding signed during the summit to support tourism education, hospitality, and innovation. He also acknowledged TUI’s planned Angolan hospitality school initiatives in Angola, contending that education is not enough in itself but must build employability, service quality, and national capacity.

To the list of ingredients for a successful sector, he added seamless access, digital connectivity, gastronomy, safety, cleanliness, and a clear marketing and positioning strategy. With corporate and events-based visits, family-oriented travel, the premium segment, and nature-based attractions all competing for attention, Angola needs clarity on what the country’s offer entails, Barth said. That clear-headedness would attract investors and bring citizens on board, ensuring a grass-roots approach that can boost domestic tourism, as well as international arrivals.

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Tying in with comments on nature-based and ecotourism, but bringing a different perspective, Kashyap Choksi, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of Global Partnerships at Global Humane Society argued that animal welfare credentials are an increasingly important criterion for younger travellers choosing among destinations and that certification in this domain could give Angola an edge over competitors.

With international arrivals having grown 28% in 2025, making Angola one of Africa’s best-performing and most investable destinations, according to Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director, the panel’s overall message was that Angola could become a leader of regional African tourism if it positions people, nature, and clarity of purpose at the heart of its strategy.

L’article Could Angola be Africa’s next must-visit destination? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

From 17 to 19 June 2026, some 1,000 tourism leaders, investors, ministers, and heads of state gathered in Luanda for the Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit. During the event, UN Tourism presented ‘Tourism Doing Business: Investing in Angola’, a guideline developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism of Angola. Its goal: to give international investors a clear overview of the investment opportunities in Angola’s tourism sector.

In 2025, international arrivals in Angola reached 223,140 visitors. Compared with 2024, this marks a 28% year-on-year increase and one that stands well above pre-pandemic levels. According to Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director, this makes Angola one of Africa’s best-performing destinations.

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“When it is planned, financed and managed with care, tourism can be a quiet but powerful force for good. It creates jobs, supports small businesses, and gives communities reasons to safeguard their natural and cultural heritage. This Tourism Doing Business guide for Angola offers a practical view of how that potential can be translated into investable opportunities, and how partners can participate in ways that are responsible, inclusive and sustainable,” UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais.

Over the past few years, Angola’s government has been working towards a more diversified economy, away from the oil industry. Tourism is seen as a driver of economic decentralisation, spreading opportunity across provinces and reducing dependence on hydrocarbons. The opening of the Dr Agostinho Neto International Airport, with capacity for 15 million passengers annually, is a great example of that shift.

“Tourism investment is about matching vision with execution. Angola’s vision is clear: diversify its economy by developing destinations that are competitive, sustainable and inclusive. Execution requires the right policies, bankable projects, skilled talent and access to finance. This Tourism Doing Business guide advances all four: it translates reforms into investor language, curates a set of opportunities across regions and products, highlights human-capital pathways, and maps the partners that can mobilise resources,” said Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director.

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In 2025, foreign Direct Investment in tourism is projected to reach $3 billion in Angola. That renewed investor confidence is supported by 100% foreign ownership rights and full repatriation guarantees under the Private Investment Law. Other investor incentives include Industrial Tax reductions ranging from 20% to 100% for up to 10 years, infrastructure commitments that reduce private capital expenditure, visa exemptions for 98 countries, and participation in the KAZA UniVisa system.

When combined with Angola’s exceptional landscape and a tendency to prioritise sustainable projects, these factors make 2026 an ideal moment to invest in the country’s tourism industry, according to UN Tourism.

“Three elements stand out for investors. First, geography: Angola combines coastal leisure, desert adventure, riverine nature and cultural heritage in one portfolio, rare in Africa and globally. Second, momentum: airport upgrades, corridor logistics and a modernised investment framework are simplifying how projects get done. Third, readiness: from integrated resorts to eco-lodges and wellness assets, the pipeline spans concepts and ticket sizes that can be phased and paired with green utilities and digital services, as well as a well-trained workforce,” stated Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director.

Both the Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit in Luanda and the ‘Tourism Doing Business: Investing in Angola’ guideline have managed to put Angola on the radar of the international travel and tourism industry. Only time will tell whether or not the country’s tourism potential will become a reality.

L’article UN Tourism launches investment roadmap for Angola’s tourism sector est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Addressing President João Lourenço, Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo, Namibia’s Prime Minister, ministers, investors and tourism leaders, Al Nuwais opened her keynote with a clear message: “Investment matters, and this forum matters.”

She said Angola is no longer treating tourism simply as an economic sector, but as a driver of prosperity, opportunity and long-term national transformation.

Confidence is attracting investment

Recalling her meeting with President Lourenço during the World Government Summit in Dubai, Al Nuwais said his commitment to tourism as part of Angola’s future had left a lasting impression.

According to the UN Tourism chief, that vision is now being translated into concrete action.

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She highlighted more than €8 billion mobilised through Angola’s national tourism strategy, PLANATUR, alongside visa-free access for citizens of more than 90 countries and the Luanda Ministerial Statement, which aims to strengthen air connectivity across the region.

Her central message focused on investor confidence.

“Investment follows confidence,” she said, arguing that confidence in Angola is growing.

As evidence, she pointed to the full flight she had taken to Luanda and the strong presence of international hotel brands, tourism investors and business leaders at the summit, describing them as clear signs that Angola is attracting growing international attention.

Closing Africa’s tourism investment gap

Al Nuwais also reflected on Angola’s participation at ITB Berlin earlier this year, where the country showcased its culture, music, cuisine and traditions to an international audience.

She said one of the performances presented there symbolised more than cultural heritage, representing national pride and growing confidence in Angola’s future.

Turning to investment across the continent, she referred to remarks previously made by Angola’s Tourism Minister Márcio Daniel, who noted that Africa continues to receive the lowest share of global tourism investment.

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For UN Tourism, she said, closing that investment gap has become a key priority.

“Potential is distributed widely, but investment is not,” she said, arguing that destinations with strong tourism assets deserve greater access to international capital.

She explained that UN Tourism will continue supporting governments through investment guidelines, investment forums and initiatives designed to connect the public and private sectors.

“Ready, ambitious and open for business”

According to Al Nuwais, Angola is one of the destinations best positioned to benefit from that approach.

She described the country as “ready, ambitious and open for business”, adding that the summit should become a platform for practical partnerships rather than simply speeches and discussions.

Referring to Angola’s national tourism campaign, Visit Angola: The Rhythm of Life, she said the country’s “rhythm” is now being heard far beyond its borders by investors, tourism businesses and travellers alike.

Her address echoed one of the summit’s central themes: that Angola is building a new tourism economy founded on leadership, connectivity, investment and international cooperation.

Strengthening cooperation with UN Tourism

One of the summit’s symbolic moments came when Al Nuwais presented the Tourism Doing Business – Investing in Angola guidelines to President João Lourenço.

The handover underscored the partnership between Angola and UN Tourism while reinforcing the country’s ambition to make tourism a strategic pillar of economic diversification.

The publication is designed to help international investors better understand Angola’s tourism opportunities, priority development areas and long-term investment potential.

Concluding her address, Al Nuwais said Angola is no longer waiting for the future but actively building it.

Its tourism potential, she concluded, “is no longer only a promise – it is becoming a reality.”

L’article “Angola’s tourism potential is becoming reality,” says UN Tourism chief Shaikha Al Nuwais  est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Speaking before President João Lourenço, Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo, Namibia’s Prime Minister, ministers, investors and tourism leaders, Daniel said tourism is no longer viewed simply as a sector with future potential but has become a national economic priority and a central pillar of Angola’s diversification strategy.

He described the summit as more than an international conference, calling it “an instrument of transformation” designed to position Angola among Africa’s leading tourism and investment destinations.

Tourism moves to the centre of Angola’s economic strategy

According to the minister, tourism should be seen not only as a leisure industry but also as a driver of employment, infrastructure, foreign investment, mobility, culture and national development.

He argued that, while Angola has long been recognised for its natural resources, the country is now inviting investors to focus on the wealth above the ground, including its landscapes, coastline, rivers, forests, wildlife, culture, gastronomy and hospitality.

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Daniel highlighted Angola’s more than 1,600 kilometres of Atlantic coastline, the Namibe Desert, Kalandula Falls, the Okavango region, national parks and natural reserves as tourism assets capable of competing with the continent’s best-known destinations.

Beyond its landscapes, he also pointed to the country’s people, describing the energy and hospitality of Angolans as an advantage that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

A window of opportunity for investors

One of the keynote’s central messages was that Angola remains at an early stage of its tourism development, creating what Daniel described as a rare opportunity for investors.

“Those who enter early do not only buy an asset; they help shape a market,” he said.

Rather than allowing the summit to become simply a forum for discussion, the government wants it to generate concrete partnerships, investment decisions and tourism projects.

He also linked Angola’s ambitions to broader global tourism trends, arguing that the sector has become one of the world’s strongest engines of inclusive economic growth. The challenge, he said, is identifying which destinations are best positioned to capture the next wave of tourism investment.

“Angola’s answer is clear: the country is prepared,” he said.

Infrastructure and investment tools

Daniel highlighted the government’s efforts to create the conditions needed for sustainable tourism growth.

He said more than €500 million has already been approved for integrated infrastructure projects across the country’s main tourism regions, aimed at improving accessibility, developing tourism zones and making destinations more attractive to private investors.

Among the initiatives already launched are the national tourism brand Visit Angola: The Rhythm of Life, the meetings and events platform Meet in Angola: The Meeting Room in Africa, the opening of Dr António Agostinho Neto International Airport and the future Palácio de Convenções, which is expected to accommodate more than 3,000 delegates.

The minister argued, however, that successful tourism development depends on more than infrastructure.

“It requires an ecosystem,” he said, explaining that Angola is bringing together investors, banks, tour operators, digital platforms and public institutions to make tourism projects more visible and financially viable.

As part of that strategy, he presented the Angola Tourism Investment Guide, describing it as a practical roadmap that provides investors with information on priority regions, available projects and investment opportunities.

“Angola does not only want to say it has potential,” he said. “Angola wants to show where the opportunities are.”

Building confidence in the tourism sector

Daniel also pointed to growing investor confidence in Angola’s non-oil economy.

While tourism still represents only a small share of the country’s foreign direct investment, he argued that this reflects the sector’s untapped potential rather than a weakness.

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He added that Angola’s role as one of the co-founders of the UN Tourism Platform for Africa’s Sustainable Tourism Investment (UNTPAS) demonstrates the country’s ambition to play a more active role in global tourism investment.

For international investors, he said, Angola offers a combination of natural assets, government commitment, expanding infrastructure, improving connectivity and a clear strategy for economic diversification.

“The moment is now”

Concluding his address, Daniel called on both domestic and international investors to see themselves not simply as builders of hotels, resorts or convention centres, but as partners in creating a new tourism destination.

He described tourism as Angola’s “green oil”, arguing that unlike finite natural resources, it can continue generating value if properly managed and protected.

“The market is open, the projects are prepared, the moment is now,” he concluded, expressing hope that the summit would be remembered not for its speeches but for the partnerships, investments and decisions it helped generate.

L’article “Angola is ready for tourism,” says Tourism Minister Márcio Daniel est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Speaking in a Presidential Dialogue moderated by CNN Africa correspondent Victoria Rubadiri, Chapo said Mozambique is entering a transformative economic period as major LNG projects move forward with companies including Eni, TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil. However, he stressed that the country’s future should not depend solely on natural gas.

“We do not want to concentrate only on LNG,” he said. “We want to diversify our economy.”

Tourism at the heart of diversification

The President described tourism as one of the sectors best placed to support that ambition alongside agriculture, infrastructure, transport, logistics, energy, digital transformation and industry.

He highlighted Mozambique’s nearly 2,700 kilometres of coastline, islands, marine ecosystems, wildlife reserves and conservation areas as major tourism assets capable of attracting visitors from around the world.

According to Chapo, the country’s combination of natural beauty, cultural heritage and hospitality gives it the foundations to become one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations.

But he argued that tourism growth requires more than attractive landscapes. Roads, electricity, water supply, development corridors and carefully planned tourism zones are all essential to creating destinations that can attract long-term private investment.

“The government’s responsibility is to prepare the foundations,” he said, explaining that investors need organised tourism zones, reliable infrastructure and a stable business environment before committing to projects.

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Connectivity remains a major challenge

Air connectivity emerged as one of the central themes of the discussion.

Chapo argued that Africa cannot fully unlock its tourism potential while travellers are often forced to transit through Europe or the Middle East to reach neighbouring African countries.

He welcomed the direct Luanda-Maputo air service, which currently operates five times a week, and revealed that Angola and Mozambique are discussing increasing the route to daily flights.

Improving connectivity, he said, would not only benefit tourism but also strengthen trade, investment and regional integration.

The President also backed efforts by the African Development Bank to reinforce the continent’s aviation sector and called for greater investment in African airlines to improve links between destinations.

Tourism creates opportunities across society

Unlike extractive industries, which often rely on highly specialised workers once construction is complete, tourism generates employment across a broad spectrum of society, Chapo argued.

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He said the sector creates opportunities for hotel managers, guides, drivers, fishermen, artisans, farmers, small business owners and local communities.

“Tourism is the industry that creates jobs for all social classes,” he said.

The President also emphasised the importance of digitalisation and visa facilitation, arguing that simpler entry procedures, modern public services and investment-friendly regulations would make Mozambique more attractive to international investors. He also suggested the possibility of introducing golden visa schemes for major investors.

Security and regional cooperation

Asked about investor concerns linked to insecurity in Cabo Delgado province, Chapo acknowledged the challenges but stressed they are confined to specific districts in the north of the country.

He noted that Maputo is around 3,000 kilometres away and that tourism continues to operate normally in many other regions of Mozambique. The government, he said, remains committed to improving security while ensuring localised issues do not undermine confidence in the country as a whole.

Peace and stability, he added, remain fundamental to attracting sustainable investment and developing a strong tourism economy.

The dialogue also focused on regional integration. Chapo argued that African countries should cooperate more closely rather than compete in isolation, calling for stronger implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and easier movement of people across the continent.

Looking further ahead, he suggested Africa could one day move towards a system similar to Europe’s Schengen Area, making travel easier for both African citizens and international visitors.

Strengthening ties with Angola

Chapo described Angola and Mozambique as “brothers”, united by a shared language, history and independence.

He said both governments are discussing expanding the Luanda-Maputo air route from five to seven weekly flights, while also exploring new cooperation between development banks, sovereign wealth funds and public institutions.

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Beyond tourism, he identified opportunities for closer collaboration in agriculture, infrastructure, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, transport corridors and energy.

Concluding the dialogue, Chapo said the objective is not simply economic growth but improving living standards for African citizens through stronger investment, regional cooperation and sustainable development.

His remarks reinforced one of the summit’s central themes: that Africa’s tourism future will depend on leadership, connectivity, investment and collaboration, with tourism serving not as a secondary industry but as a strategic driver of economic diversification.

L’article President Daniel Chapo champions tourism as Mozambique looks beyond LNG est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Addressing heads of state, ministers, diplomats, international organisations, investors and tourism leaders, he said the summit had brought together the partnerships, resources and determination needed to transform Angolan and African tourism into “a truly global force”.

Describing tourism as one of the world’s most dynamic economic sectors, the President said it has the capacity to create jobs, attract investment, stimulate entrepreneurship and support local development. For countries seeking diversified and inclusive growth, he argued, tourism is no longer an optional industry but a strategic priority.

Diversifying beyond oil

According to Lourenço, Angola’s focus on tourism reflects years of structural reforms aimed at reducing dependence on the petroleum sector.

He said the government has worked to create a more competitive business environment while encouraging investment in industries capable of generating long-term economic growth and employment.

Highlighting the country’s tourism assets, he pointed to Angola’s more than 1,600 kilometres of Atlantic coastline, national parks, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, rich biodiversity and historical and cultural heritage. Destinations such as Luengue-Luiana National Park, the Okavango-Zambezi region, Cameia National Park, Kalandula Falls and Mbanza Kongo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were presented as examples of the country’s untapped tourism potential.

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He argued that Angola’s unique combination of nature, culture, adventure, heritage and business tourism gives it a competitive advantage among African destinations.

Infrastructure to support tourism growth

Infrastructure development featured prominently in the President’s address.

He highlighted projects including the Dr António Agostinho Neto International Airport, the Lobito Corridor and the planned Luanda Convention Palace, alongside continued investment in roads, ports, railways, airports, energy, telecommunications and healthcare infrastructure.

These projects, he said, are laying the foundations needed to support tourism development across the country while improving connectivity and creating new opportunities for investment.

He also stressed that ongoing reforms to increase transparency and strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy are essential to creating a favourable business environment and unlocking Angola’s tourism potential.

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Opportunities for international investors

Addressing investors directly, Lourenço reaffirmed that Angola is open to foreign investment, innovation, knowledge transfer and partnerships that create mutual benefits.

He identified opportunities throughout the tourism value chain, including hotels and resorts, ecotourism, business tourism, leisure infrastructure, transport services, digital tourism and professional training.

“Angola will continue to be a committed and reliable partner for long-term investment,” he said, adding that private investors should be viewed as strategic partners in the country’s economic transformation rather than simply financiers.

The President also noted that Angola’s recognition as the Global Tourism Forum’s Best Tourism Investment Destination in 2025 has reinforced the country’s commitment to developing the sector with ambition and discipline.

A broader vision for African tourism

Looking beyond Angola, Lourenço said Africa has all the ingredients needed to become one of the world’s leading tourism regions, thanks to its natural landscapes, cultural diversity, hospitality and increasingly dynamic economies.

He noted that the continent recorded tourism growth in 2025 above the global average, while acknowledging that challenges remain, particularly in air connectivity, regional mobility and the harmonisation of migration policies.

He also emphasised the importance of investing in skills and professional training, arguing that combining technical expertise with Africa’s renowned hospitality could become a significant competitive advantage.

Regional cooperation, he added, will also be essential, saying that no country can fully realise its tourism potential in isolation. Greater collaboration and cross-border tourism circuits, he argued, will help make Africa more attractive and competitive on the global stage.

Tourism as a force for peace

The address concluded with a broader message on the role of tourism in promoting peace and international cooperation.

Referring to current geopolitical tensions and global conflicts, the President said stability remains the essential foundation for investment and sustainable development. Without peace, he argued, there can be no lasting economic growth.

He described tourism as more than an economic activity, calling it a force capable of bringing people and cultures together, strengthening mutual understanding and fostering cooperation between nations.

Expressing confidence that the Global Tourism Forum Angola Investment Summit would generate new partnerships, mobilise investment and help position both Angola and Africa among the world’s leading tourism destinations, Lourenço officially declared the 2026 summit open.

L’article President João Lourenço says tourism can power Angola’s economic diversification est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.