After a glittering career as a footballer, Didier Drogba is currently replicating his success on the football field in the tourism sector as evident in the success he recently recorded in securing a MOUs for a total of $15 billion in commitments to back tourism projects in the West African country.
Under the banner, Sublime Côte d’Ivoire, Drogba was a key player in a team of top Ivorian business and political leaders, as well as show business figures, who took a roadshow to Dubai and Hamburg. They returned with more than $15billion of funding commitments for a variety of tourism projects, from hotels to resorts and coastline development.
The breakthrough comes ahead of the UNWTO Forum for Africa, which took place in Abidjan recently and the influential Forum de Investissement Hotelier Africain (FIHA), which will take place in Abidjan next month (March 23 – 25).
The former Chelsea striker who is now a United Nations, UN world tourism ambassador was part of a successful global push to promote the rising success and attractiveness of Côte d’Ivoire’s tourist economy. According to a UNWTO 2018 data; the country boasts a Gross Domestic Product, GDP growth rate of about 8% in 2019 and, as a destination, it’s in third place in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 2 million international visitors, behind South Africa and Zimbabwe, ahead of Uganda, Botswana, Kenya or Mauritius.
For Matthew Weihs, Managing Director, Bench Events, which organises FIHA, this is an extraordinary and impressive effort.
“This is an extraordinary and impressive effort by Côte d’Ivoire, and it makes this year’s Forum particularly interesting because the funding commitments are in place and the task now is to make projects happen,” he said.
On his part, Philippe Doizelet, Managing Partner of Horwath HTL, the world’s largest and most experienced hospitality consultants who have been guiding Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts posited that it is an exciting time for the hospitality sector in the country.
“It’s a blank page that the industry can write on in the most exciting way. Much has to be built – hotels alongside cultural centres and conference facilities, among other things. The amazing coastline offers great ‘bleisure’ (a mix of business and leisure) opportunities. Beyond Abidjan; Boulay island, Bassam and Jacqueville are currently the most promising locations” he said.
He further sees the greatest potential in ‘mixed-use’ projects, combining leisure, office and retail units with hospitality, in particular, branded 2-star & 3-star hotels and extended stay apartments.
Concluding, Weihs said FIHA is central to driving investments in the regional hotel and mixed-use projects.
“FIHA and its affiliated event, the Africa Hotel Investment Forum, are central to driving investments in the regional hotel and mixed-use projects. The events connect key international and regional stakeholders, private and institutional investors to the hotel developers and operators that are fuelling the growth of the hotel industry across the continent. The projects that are promoted and funded at FIHA drive investments in tourism, stimulate economic growth in regional markets, create jobs and encourage much-needed infrastructure” he added.
Doizelet is also full of praises for Cote D ‘Ivoire’s Tourism Minister, Siandou Fofana who is described as visionary and deeply committed.
‘Cote D ‘Ivoire’s ambition to make tourism one of the main pillars of the economy, Fofana is visionary and deeply committed. He works hard to bring people together and attracts the best experts’ he added
Last year’s successful FIHA in Marrakech attracted 300 delegates from 28 countries.
FIHA is known for its ability to link up the new investors with developers, consultants, contractors, hoteliers, and political leaders.
