Kempinski Seychelles Resort Hotel highlights growth in the African hotel market

Kempinski Hotels has announced plans for further expansion into Africa during the Bench Events-organised Africa Hotel Investment Forum.

With new management agreements under review in more than a dozen countries and five hotels under development across the continent, Kempinski plans to significantly increase its presence in Africa as the leading luxury hotel brand over the next five years.

Kempinski representatives, including chief operating officer Duncan O’Rourke and regional president of Middle East & Africa Ulrich Eckhardt, arrived in Nairobi earlier to attend the forum.

Eckhardt stated: “It’s no longer a secret that Africa is going to be the next big growth story in the world, which is why we are already operating hotels on the continent in places like Djibouti, Tchad, Namibia, and the Seychelles; as well as looking for more opportunities to expand our portfolio in this region.”

The projected pipeline for Kempinski in Africa is estimated to produce more than 5,000 jobs, providing opportunity for Africa’s young population to find careers in one of the world’s fastest growing industries - hospitality.

Eckhardt added: “Africa is poised for impressive growth and it’s not only rich in natural resources, more importantly it’s rich in people.

“Africa has a growing population of creative and driven young people, who are seeking opportunities for long-term careers.

“Kempinski prioritizes talent development and provides ongoing opportunities for our staff to learn and to grow.

“We are committed to building sustainable business in Africa and the key to our success so far has been to build on the strength of local talent and African traditions of hospitality.”