NAIROBI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Tourism will host the 18th edition of Africa Hotel Investments Forum (AHIF) in Nairobi from Oct. 2 to 4 as the hospitality sector in the country records growth despite political jitters.
Organizers said in a statement released in Nairobi on Friday that the forum will help showcase emerging opportunities in Africa's hospitality industry to foreign investors.
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Tourism Najib Balala said Nairobi was honored to host the premier gathering of fund managers, policymakers and experts to discuss investment opportunities in Africa's vibrant hospitality sector.
"I am delighted that we have brought Africa's highest profile hotel investment forum back to Kenya. It will attract the kind of people who have influence and resources to make a destination successful," said Balala.
He noted that Kenya has emerged as a favorite destination for investments in luxury hotels thanks to friendly policies, fiscal incentives, political stability and abundance of trained workforce.
"At AHIF, we will be making a compelling case for investment in the hospitality sector across Kenya. Nairobi is already the established business hub of East Africa," Balala remarked.
He added that diversification of tourism products that has been promoted by the state has attracted new investments in the sector.
Kenya hosted the Africa Hotel Investment Forum in 2013 while Rwanda and Ethiopia have hosted the event in subsequent years.
The forum's organizers noted that it unleashes multiple benefits to host countries including deals to develop high end hotels alongside capital injection to local economies.
Jonathan Worsley, the Chairman of Bench Events that organizes the annual hotel investment forum in Africa, said Kenya is well positioned to attract new foreign direct investments in the tourism sector thanks to a positive economic outlook this year.
"Kenya has moved forward tremendously since AHIF was last held here in 2013. Major investments in infrastructure are transforming communications and access," said Worsley.
"That has to be of interest to our delegates and we are very much looking forward to seeing it first-hand," he added.
