Angola plans to receive 4.6m tourists by 2020

Angola’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism wants the country to receive over 4.6 million tourists by 2020, in view of the increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the diversification of the economy, the Minister said Friday.
Peter Mutinde, speaking in Lobito during the opening ceremony of the new Hotel Terminus, noted that the Ministry intends to increase the number of jobs by over a million, by opening more establishments connected to this sector of the economy.
The minister said the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism plans to contribute USD3.1 billion to the country’s GDP in the same period, by exploiting the potential of the country, according to Angolan news agency Angop.
He said the government was gathering all the conditions necessary for tourism, starting with economic stabilization, construction of roads, bridges, airports and railways, for sustainable development of the sector, based on the diversification of sources of revenue for the country.
“At least 84 new hotels were built in Angola between 2008 and 2012, allowing the addition of 4780 rooms. In 2008 the country had 61 hotels and 2822 rooms and currently has 145 hotels and 7602 rooms,” he said.
The country’s hotels and related facilities last year welcomed 1.15 million guests, an increase of 170,560 compared to 2012, according to the statistical bulletin for the Angolan hotel and tourism market.  MDT/Macauhub