Luanda: Tourism Minister M¡rcio Daniel said on Monday in Luanda that the Luanda Convention Centre will strengthen Angola's position as a leading destination for business tourism in Africa. Speaking to journalists after the inauguration of the facility, at a ceremony presided over by Angolan President Joo Louren§o, the minister said the sector is already implementing a strategy aimed at boosting the country's events tourism industry.
According to Angola Press News Agency, among the measures adopted, Minister Daniel highlighted the creation of the brand 'Meet in Angola, The Meeting Room in Africa', as well as participation in the Angola Convention Bureau, an organisation that has already established a partnership with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). 'It is a package of measures designed with the period following the inauguration of this Convention Centre in mind,' he said.
M¡rcio Daniel stressed that the strategy to promote events tourism requires organisation, forward planning and the involvement of all stakeholders in the sector. For this reason, he argued that the Convention Centre must operate as part of a broader tourism ecosystem involving hotels, car rental companies, transfer services, tour guides and interpreters.
'It is not just about this infrastructure. It must be connected to hotels, car rental companies, transfer operators, guides and interpreters. It is an entire ecosystem that will now be integrated into the Angola Convention Bureau,' he explained. He added that, based on this strategy, Angola intends to present more competitive proposals to international organisers in order to ensure continuous use of the facility.
'We will actively promote proposals so that this infrastructure remains in use 365 days a year,' he said. The minister explained that the Angola Convention Bureau will be responsible for actively seeking events to be held in the country, within what he described as a highly competitive continental market.
According to M¡rcio Daniel, competition for major private and international events requires a proactive approach towards leading organisers and institutions that already possess the budgets and decision-making capacity to hold congresses, conferences and other gatherings. The minister acknowledged the strong competition across the continent, citing as examples the convention centres in Cape Town, South Africa, which host a significant share of Africa's major events, as well as facilities in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Egypt.
For M¡rcio Daniel, Angola must take advantage of the new infrastructure to position itself competitively within the African business tourism market. 'We must be organised, structured and able to work as a team so that Angola, and Luanda in particular, truly becomes Africa's meeting room. And we will achieve it, without doubt,' he emphasised.
