Carlson Rezidor is accelerating its growth strategy in Africa. The group has opened five Radisson Blu hotels in the first six months of 2016 and signed four new hotels including the first Quorvus Collection in Africa. The group is also entering 28th country in Africa and taking the Park Inn by Radisson brand to the Indian Ocean Islands.

In the run-up to the first Africa Hotel Investment Forum in Lomé, the organiser, Bench Events, has praised Togo’s commitment to far-reaching infrastructure improvements destined to boost economic growth and transform the country into a strategic transport hub in west Africa. Matthew Weihs, Bench Events managing director, said: “We’re very pleased to be hosting an additional AHIF in Togo at this decisive time, as the country embraces a number of important projects that will enhance its standing as a significant investment destination.”

The number of planned hotel rooms in Africa has soared to 64,000 in 365 hotels, up almost 30 per cent on the previous year, according to new figures from the annual W Hospitality Group Hotel Chain Development Pipeline Survey. The increase is largely down to strong growth in sub-Saharan Africa, which is up 42.1 per cent on 2015 and is significantly outstripping North Africa which achieved only a modest 7.5 per cent pipeline increase this year.

The government of Rwanda, through the Rwanda Development Board, will host the Africa Hotel Investment Forum in 2016 in Kigali. AHIF brings together the leading international hotel investors in Africa with local operators, ministers, government officials and industry experts, to discuss all aspects of hotel investment and operation in Africa. The decision to host AHIF in Kigali underlines a clear strategy by Rwanda to attract investment in the tourism sector.

The Africa Hotel Investment Forum is set to return to Addis Ababa in 2015. Following much speculation, organiser Bench Events have confirmed the premier conference will take place again at the Sheraton Hotel on September 30 October 1.

The increasing rate of inbound tourist arrivals and planned events/conferences is widening an already huge gap between demand for international-standard hotels and supply of accommodation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. A search on TripAdvisor reveals just two international-class, five star hotels in the city, the Sheraton and the Radisson Blu - and anecdotes about delegates attending meetings at the Africa Union’s headquarters having to travel up to 60 miles to find a bed for the night are not unknown.