Angola is looking at luxury tourism to overcome the financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in hopes that it will attract millionaires from all over the world.
Luxury hotels in Angola are taking the first steps. Inspired by other African countries like Botswana, South Africa and Kenya, they have big ambitions for the near future. Thus, the sector is mobilized to improve its professional skills, and hotel and tourism professionals are being mobilized to improve the sector’s supply and ensure sanitary safety.
The country’s Mangais Golf Resort invested in strict safety protocols which has kept travelers coming in. Clients range from those enjoying staycations to those who want to absorb the great outdoors. Set in beautiful surroundings, it’s the only hotel in the country with a golf course. The resort also has a soccer and a rugby field, horseback riding and a view over the Kwanza river.
“We have to grow,” said Catarina de Castro, manager of the Mangais Golf Resort to Euronews. “We have to bet. We have to invest. And we have to train our staff. We are on the right path. Mangais is on the right path.”
A growing sector in Angola
In Luanda, the luxurious Epic Sana is a leading light. Designed to receive business guests, the hotel remained open during the pandemic.
Signs of modernization and growth in the sector are also visible. This is the case with the new Intercontinental Hotel, the first Internationally branded 5-star hotel in the country and scheduled to start its operation in October 2021.
Despite this optimism, Angola still has a long journey to achieve the same level of other African countries that have better infrastructure and expertise to attract tourists. In order to advance in that field, the Angolan government is betting on public-private partnership (PPP) projects, such as the Luanda surface meter and a new bridge over the Kwanza River, to serve as a springboard for economic relations.