"[The events in Angola] naturally damaged the country's image. What happened in Angola made international headlines. Therefore, we now need to calm the situation, truly work to make people realize that we have peace, we have stability," Ramiro Barreira said in a statement to Lusa this Monday.
Barreira called on Angolan authorities and their partners to work to organize the country "at all levels," helping to improve the lives of the population and create the conditions for "sustainable, strong, and robust tourism."
Condemning the acts of vandalism, looting, and violence recorded last week in Luanda and some provinces in Angola's interior, he emphasized that AHRA members did not report any cases of vandalized hotels.
The official acknowledged that the events of July 28, 29, and 30 affected the movement of people to hotels, restaurants, and tourist areas throughout the country, describing the incidents as "unpleasant."
"Yes, indeed, we have to look at the country, we have to understand that we have problems that we need to overcome, especially the fight against poverty and increasing the purchasing power of the population, but that doesn't justify (...) acts of vandalism," he criticized.
He defended the need for dialogue between authorities and citizens to prevent such situations: "I think we need to sit down, be rational, put our heads together, and say that we need calm and peace to find the best paths."
"There are a series of challenges that the government will have to face (health, education, employment, basic needs), and we, as social partners, are also available to contribute, to help find the best solutions," he noted.
The capital and other provinces across the country recorded scenes of vandalism and looting, mainly of commercial establishments and warehouses, after a taxi driver strike against fuel prices that degenerated into violent protests against the country's current socioeconomic situation.
Among the vandalized institutions in Luanda was António Bumba's hotel, located in the Calemba 2 neighborhood, which was the target of an uncontrolled attack by citizens who left the space completely destroyed, as its owner lamented in statements to Lusa, asking for help.
The president of AHRA said he was unaware of this particular case, expressing indignation and repudiation of this act, which "violates all the values of organized societies."
Ramiro Barreira praised the support for businesses affected by the vandalism, announced by President João Lourenço, believing that the "compensation" approved by the government should help them restart their activities and safeguard jobs.
When asked about the main challenges facing the country's hotel and tourism sector, the president of AHRA responded: "I think the main challenge we will face now, naturally, is creating the psychological conditions for people to believe that Angola is, in fact, a stable country."
"This situation [vandalism and violence] has done nothing to create a calm environment that allows tourism to develop. We are committed, together with the Ministry of Tourism, to ensuring that Angola becomes an important platform for global tourism," he said.
Regarding domestic tourism, he said he believes the situation can "substantially improve," but to achieve this, it will be necessary to "also increase people's purchasing power, especially the middle class, which is the one that moves most toward domestic tourism."
He also highlighted the need to improve "infrastructure, especially roads," as well as "mobility in terms of air transport and interconnectivity between provinces."
"Now, we need to maintain calm and peace so that people understand that what happened here in Luanda and some other provinces were just isolated incidents, and that the country has stability, direction, political stability, and security, which are fundamental factors for sustainable tourism," the businessman concluded.
