The concern is expressed in a statement from the Association of Hotels and Resorts of Angola (AHRA) alluding to World Tourism Day, which was marked this Wednesday, in which they guarantee to work to improve the business environment in Angola.
According to AHRA, the celebrations of World Tourism Day constitute a special moment as this body has been, since 2017, an affiliated member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and is also a member of the UNWTO business committee.
"It continues to be our purpose to work to help improve the business environment in Angola and make this important segment of the hotel industry viable", the note states.
The AHRA states that, "unfortunately", there are still "low occupancy rates in the sector, the absence of subsidized financial credits, the lack of a logistics center to support hoteliers and restaurants and, in some places, the absence of running water and electricity".
However, the association says that it continues to dialogue with the Government to find "the best ways" to make business viable in this area and highlights the role of the President, João Lourenço, for the meeting he recently held with an AHRA delegation, which aimed to " listen to the sector's problems and define a strategy with immediate impact".
These hotel operators welcome the exemption from entry visas to Angola from the countries of the G20, Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and others, as well as the facilitation of visas.
The association also states, in the statement signed by its president, Ramiro Barreira, that it remains committed to bilateral dialogue and, through the Business Technical Group with the executive, in the search for lasting solutions for the sector.
"We also welcome the role of the Economic and Social Council (the Angolan President's advisory body) in helping the growth and sustainable development of tourism in Angola, as well as State institutions", they point out in the statement.
For hoteliers, with the opening of the New Luanda International Airport (NAIL) "new perspectives open up for Angola to serve as a platform for African and international tourism with all the benefits" that come with it for the sector.
The World Tourism Day celebrations take place under the motto "Tourism and Green Investment".
