Experts argue that the tourism sector in Angola has been facing several difficulties. More investments and the establishment of policies capable of attracting credible partnerships are some of the present-day needs.
The proposed measures appear at a time when the tourism sector authorities claim that the new scheme of visa exemption will put an end to bureaucratic barriers in the migratory flow.
More investment in Angolan personnel to safeguard the development of the national tourism chain, and to promote more attractive and sustainable offers – these were the suggestions of Ângela Bragança, the Angolan Minister of Tourism.
For the governor, another key point is the valorization of the national ability to solve difficult issues related to the lack of currencies and the subsequent economic and financial crisis.
“The priority must be the national citizens. We must empower them, because, even when taking into account the current foreign exchange difficulties, investing in Angola is one of the ways to solve difficult problems,” she stressed.
The valorization of the national personnel is, first and foremost, achieved through training. This is the line of thinking that some students of Hospitality and Tourism rely on to “collect earnings from their own abilities”, in favor of the country. However, the lack of opportunities has been one of the handicaps.
“Any student who has just completed his education has the tendency to showcase what he has learned during his academic career,” the student Mendes Domingos stated on the sidelines of the National Conference of Personnel of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry of Angola, recently held in Luanda, a student who is attending the course of Tourism, Entertainment and Hospitality at Universidade Metodista de Angola.
The development of personnel and collective initiatives may be the solution for the growth of the hospitality and tourism sector in Angola, according to the manager responsible for the area, who, on the other hand, acknowledges the existing constraints, which still hinder the ability to attract more investment and credible strategic partnerships that can produce results.
The development of tourism lacks investments in infrastructure, training and marketing, with the intent to achieve an integrated strategy to promote tourism, explained the Minister, who also emphasized the new scheme of visa exemption, “which will eliminate bureaucratic barriers in the migratory flow and open the country.”
The Association of Hotels and Resorts of Angola, the AHRA, supports the development of policies that will transform the hotel units of Angola in international brands, which will turn the country into a credible place, from a tourist point of view.
Ramiro Barreiro, General Secretary of the Association of Hotels and Resorts of Angola, supports investments in tourism-related sectors. “We have a 1600-kilometer coastline, we have plenty of forestry resources and fauna, where it is possible to make investments to attract foreign tourists.”
The Minister of Tourism acknowledges the need of the country to work on improving the certification of hotels and restaurants, organizing products and tourist areas, in addition to the implementation of the Fund for Tourism Promotion.
With nearly 500 hotels, from 3 to 5 stars, 1200 hostels, motels and residences, accommodating approximately 60 thousand workers, Angola needs to create in the near future something close to 500.000 jobs, where the tourism sector can account for the highest number of employed personnel.