Lamine Sebogo is Head of the Elephant Conservation program for the WWF. Sitting down with Bench Events CEO, Jonathan Worsley, at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) 2015 in Addis Ababa, the pair discuss the real facts about the elephant poaching crisis. Covering the poverty, global demand and money that is fuelling the trade, Mr Sebogo talks about how the hotel industry can stop the slaughter of approximately 30,000 elephants being poached every year.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
Hear more about the increased activity from Middle Eastern carriers and some successes from local carriers such as Ethiopian Airways, using Addis Ababa as a hub. The growth of African middle class consumers has also given birth to low cost carriers such as FastJet as well as three other players in the region. Jon can be reached via jon.howell@benchevents.com.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
The focus moves quickly to the fast vs slow rise of low cost carriers in Africa and some of the institutional challenges that may be holding the low cost opportunity back. What do African national carriers need to do with their routes, landing fees, fuel costs, etc to help build out a similar market to Europe, the US and Asia? Hear Mario’s thoughts on these issues as well as how he defines Air Djibouti in terms of its business model and its future in passenger services.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
Bench Events UK MD Matthew Weihs talks to Jonathan Hubbard about how Africa may be the “next big story” as the world economy moves away from a period of difficulty. The demographic and economic story continues to evolve in Africa and Jonathan talks about how that will attract brands and financial support as supply increases in Africa.
The conversation heads towards the long term view for institutional investors and local partners. The development market, currently at $2 billion dollars a year, is the focus for now, but what happens next with Governments and investors as pertains to their expectations from the market?
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
Ms Zeisler speaks on the rich wildlife in the region and the option for tourists to stay longer, impacting spending and lowering relative C02 emissions. She also speaks on the some the work that needs to be done by the airline carriers to increase the flow of travellers into the region.
From an investment perspective, Valentina highlights an aggregated fund that pools together a series of independent lodges that form a larger more attractive fund for investors that may otherwise find an independant lodge to small to invest in. Could bundling investments be a game changer?
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
From new operators in the marketplace to an increasing plethora of options for stakeholders at all levels in the ecosystem, this conversation covers the results of a survey aimed at helping investors navigate these factors.
There is special focus on East Africa as well as ideal hotel sizes as relates to franchise models and management contracts. Additionally, Mr Troughton speaks on the need for operator offices on the ground in local markets and how a recent increase in that trend is helping the industry grow in Africa.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
In this brief discussion, Mr Murangwe speaks on his excitement for Rwanda’s progress, including several leisure products coming on to the market and the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) itself coming to Rwanda in 2016. Currently 9.1% of Rwanda’s GDP comes from travel and tourism - however the MICE strategy outlined in this podcast details how they hope to increase that.
The discussion also moves towards the preservation and conservation of Rwanda’s fantastic natural wildlife, from Gorillas to Lions and how that attraction will tie into the growth of the MICE sector.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
Playing devil’s advocate, Minister Mzembi shares what he thinks are the perceptions of external source markets on Africa, and how these can be turned into positives to help change the brand of the continent.
New developments in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls airport will see an additional 8 billion arrivals into the country, an expansion which Minister Mzembi calls the biggest game changer for Zimbabwe.
Going forward, Minister Mzembi talks about the importance to connect the Victoria Falls air force to the key international source markets and enable them to service Zimbabwe directly, thus eliminating connectivity problems.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
Despite seeing an 18% increase for tourism in the Seychelles last year, he raises the following points:
Is that enough? Will that sustain Seychelles in the long term?
Recalling the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup song ‘This Is Africa’, Minister St.Ange says that this is a message that speaks clear to him, and hopes that it will help to bring Africa to the next level in unity.
In the podcast, Minister St. Ange addresses the challenges around air connectivity remains a major challenge, and that making it easier for international airlines to connect with Africa will help to boost tourism across the continent.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
In particular he addresses the portrayal of Africa as one big country, entirely conflicted by problems of famine, corruption, poverty and instability.
Since gaining its Independence in 1990, Namibia has diversified the scope of what it has to offer, thus gaining momentum as a conference, filming and overall tourist destination.
The next step is to debunk the dated notions that currently exist and push forward true perceptions of Africa, by showing that it has more to offer than what is currently depicted through stereotypes.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
Speaking at the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) Brand Africa Conference in Accra, 17 year-old social media guru, Rachel Markham sits for a quick chat with Matthew Weihs, Managing Director of Bench Events.
Her website, The Africa The Media Never Shows You intends to push and encourage Africans to join together in fighting back stereotypes and investing more into Africa.
Her campaign’s Twitter page @showcase_africa, showcases Africa’s rich culture and natural beauty using the hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou.
In this podcast, Rachel shares her thoughts on the need for Africa to move forward as a continent, out of the darkness and into the light. She also addresses the importance for African people to be proud to be African and of their heritage.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
She raises the positive effects of the coming together of different sectors to help communicate a renewed image of Africa.
Africa’s image is still shaped by negative factors, such as war, famine and instability, and so it is important for the entire continent to work together in portraying the positive realities that are often overlooked.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
He marks the clear objectives that will position Africa more strongly and positively to the rest of the world, thus creating a new ‘brand’ entirely.
He emphasises that by key airlines such as Kenya Airways, South African Airlines and Rwandair are connecting Africa to the rest of the world, thus opening the door to investors and tourism, and for leaders to exchange culture and build new concepts through technology.
This podcast is part of an official series supporting the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). To attend, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
In his second podcast from his travels in Africa, Matthew Weihs prepares for the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) brand exercise in Ghana.
Held in Accra, the UNWTO Brand Africa Conference aims to fight the negative stereotypes associated with the African continent.
In this podcast, Matthew discusses his major findings on why so many business are still sceptical of expanding their business into Africa.
His discoveries show that 71% of individuals that he spoke with are still hugely influenced by the media, citing concerns around security, safety and the negative images portrayed around Africa.
His findings also highlight the importance for African governments to make it easier for the investment community to do business, and implement process that will save time, energy and effort.
There are hopes that, by working collaboratively, the 54 member states of Africa will succeed in convincing those still wary of doing business in the continent to break away from their misguided perceptions of what Africa has to offer.
Regis spoke on the next 5 years, Kigali as a “constantly moving” city, improvements in safety and foreign direct investment. Regis is also very positive about the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) coming to Rwanda in 2016. For more information on AHIF, please visit www.africa-conference.com.
Christoph M. Strahm, GM of Kempinski, Kigali (the original Hotel Rwanda) talks about the iconic hotel, balance the history with change and the upward opportunity of the region.
To attend the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) 2016 please visit www.Africa-Conference.com.
John Mirenge is the CEO of RwandAir, currently transporting half a million passengers worldwide. Bench Events MD, Matthew Weihs, records his second podcast in Kigali, Rwanda, with Mr Mirenge to talk over some of the following points:
Growing 5 fold in the last 5 years
The race to a million passengers by 2018
Competing with other large scale African airline carriers
African business travel into China
Development and improvements within the current airport and new airports
The increased number of hotels in Kigali
Mr Mirenge also states that the coming of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) to Kigali in 2016 is timed perfectly and will be one of the best things to happen to Rwanda. Information on AHIF can be found at www.africa-conference.com.
Matthew shares insight into the region’s tourism and growth. He talks about the “hidden gem” nature of Rwanda and the ease of doing business as it grows as an ambitious hub for Africa.
The Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) will be held here in 2016. Hotel Des Mille Collines by Kempinski was a deal done by the Rwandan Development Board at a previous AHIF - so now the event comes full circle. A great short introduction to the region and what to expect in 2016. Information on AHIF can be found at www.africa-conference.com.