Announcing that the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) is, after a two year break with COVID, planning on bringing the investment community back to Sub-Saharan Africa Matthew Weihs, Managing Director or the Bench, spoke to Ramsay Rankoussi Vice President of Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group. We asked him about the past year which has been a successful one for the operator and what his expectations of the market in the coming 12 months, what changes to strategy they have had since COVID and where they will be focusing for future development.

Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) Podcast

Ep 62: Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President of Development for Africa and Turkey, Radisson

In this AHIF podcast we spoke with Mark Willis, CEO of Turkey, India, Middle East and Africa at Accor. Sharing his new year’s resolutions with us we also took the time to look back at 2021 and the learnings taken from this turbulent period as well as exploring where he sees opportunities in the MEA region.

Ep 63: Mark Willis, CEO of Turkey, India, Middle East and Africa at Accor

In this podcast we spoke to Fabio Nava VP of Capital Markets at JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality Group to understand the findings from the Annual Spotlight on Africa report they’ve recently published.  We explored how the pandemic has impacted the market and discussed the future opportunities for investment. 

Ep 61: Fabio Nava Vice President of Capital Markets at JLL's Hotels & Hospitality Group Sub-Saharan Africa

We spoke with Imad Barrakad, CEO of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) about their thoughts on hosting the AHIF Marketspace digital event – with its focus on Morocco on 25 March 2021.  We asked Imad what the role of SMIT is, what the investment climate is currently and how now, in the backdrop of covid, what the investment opportunities are in Morocco.  You can register to attend the Marketspace for free at www.ahif.com

Ep 60: Imad Barrakad Chairman and CEO, Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT)

On the eve of our first digital “in focus” event for the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) community, the Morocco Marketspace taking place on 25th March, I took the chance to speak to the Her Honourable Excellency Nadia Fettah Alaoui the Minister of Tourism, Handicraft, Air Transport and Social Economy about the tourism plans for the Kingdom.  We discussed where the travel situation is now, the support the Government have given the industry and the future incentives for investment and where, in her opinion, the potential opportunities are. 

Ep 59: HE Nadia Fettah Alaoui Minister of Tourism, Handicraft, Air Transport and Social Economy of the Kingdom of Morocco

In this podcast focused on #myAfrica we spoke to Yemisi Mokuolu CEO of Hatch Ideas and founder of the Asa Baako music festival in Ghana.  We explored what Africa meant to her through her work and the founding of this growing music festival. We discussed how this particular venture has developed into an event that is regenerating the local community through travel and tourism and how, now, the need has developed into the potential of investing in hotels for the area.   

Ep 58: Yemisi Mokuolu CEO of Hatch Ideas and Founder of the Asa Baako Music Festival

In this podcast, we discussed with Hala Matar Choufany the President ME/Africa and South Asia for HVS the results of their recent survey on the Africa Traveller & Hotel Guest Sentiments. We discussed the main findings of the survey and how this will impact travel activity going forward for Africa.

Ep 57: Hala Matar Choufany, President-Middle East, Africa and South Asia, HVS

In this AHIF podcast, we thought we’d turn the tables and ask the questions to Mary Gostelow, Owner and Editor of the Gostelow report, columnist and Editor of www.girlahead.com.  A fascinating discussion on her life and times and how she ended up the sage of the industry, how she approaches her work, and is able to extract such amazing insights. 

Ep 56: Mary Gostelow, Owner and Editor of the Gostelow Report

In this podcast we spoke with Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group, about recent publishing of the 2020 African Hotel Chain Development Pipeline survey – the 12th annual report. Covid-19 has derailed the market as it has the global hospitality industry but we discussed how Africa was being impacted specifically and what it means for hotel development in the short, medium and long term. With that in mind and with the AfricaTomorrow (www.africa-tomorrow.com) event a month away – what we should be expecting from the online conference where Trevor will be presenting his pipeline report

Ep 55: African Hotel Chain Development Pipeline Survey 2020

In this podcast with Frederic van Lennep, we discussed how technology can be leveraged to build confidence in a post coronavirus world for hotels. We also explored what role technology would play, how a touch-less future can be created, and how this reflects the customer experience. Frederic also published a white paper recently on the importance of technology in post-COVID19 hotel operations which can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-technology-post-covid-19-hotel-operations-van-lennep/

Ep 54: Frederic van Lennep, Business Development Director MEA, IT Hospitality

In this podcast, we discussed Marek's journey from Poland to Africa and how his entrepreneurial spirit led him to Nigeria. We discussed his relationship with travel technology and the potential for the African market especially, post Covid-19, his thoughts on the outcomes for the industry and Africa.  

Ep 53: Marek Zmyslowski, author of “Chasing Black Unicorns – how building the Amazon of Africa put me on Interpol’s Most Wanted List”

L’Afrique sera dans quelques années le centre du monde, affirme le magnat des affaires camerounais Mamoudou Fadil tout en renforçant son point de vue sur le potentiel à long terme de la croissance de l’immobilier hôtelier et du développement du tourisme sur le continent lors de son entretien avec Jean Perrochon. Africa will be on the centre stage of the world in a few years, states the Cameroonian business magnate Mamoudou Fadil while reinforcing his views about the long term growth potential for hotel real estate and tourism on the continent in an interview with Jean Perrochon.

Ep 06: Mamoudou Fadil, Vice President, Société Nouvelle des Cocotiers (SNC)

This podcast, with Trevor Ward Managing Director of W Hospitality Group, canvassed his opinion on the state of the African hotel market. Looking at the key markets and cities that development is taking place and the trend towards developing mid-scale brands

Ep 52: Trevor Ward, Managing Director, W Hospitality Group

Un entretien éclairant avec Mohamed Wade (DG du groupe Amandla Capital Real Estate) accordée à Jean Perrochon (Directeur du FIHA), qui suscite des réflexions intéressantes sur les opportunités d'investissement dans une classe d'actifs en immobilier hôtelier en évolution et dans un marché touristique régional qui devrait croître de 6% en glissement annuel au cours de la prochaine décennie.   An eye-opening interview between Mohamed Wade (Managing Director of Amandla Capital Real Estate) and Jean Perrochon (Director of FIHA), that raises some interesting considerations about the investment opportunities in the evolving hotel real estate asset class and in a tourism market that is set to grow at 6% YoY over the next decade.

Ep 05: Mohamed Wade, DG du groupe Amandla Capital Real Estate

In this podcast, we discuss with Hala Matar Choufany about her current scope of work in the Middle East, focused on driving value for owners. We also discussed the importance, and growing attention from the investment community on making sustainability work.  Finally – we looked at the difference in the type of work from the Middle East to Africa. 

Ep 51: Hala Matar Choufany, President - Middle East, Africa and South Asia, HVS

The official podcast of AHIF, which is attended by the highest calibre international hotel investors of any conference in Africa. It is the only annual hotel investment conference that connects business leaders from the international and local markets, driving investment into tourism projects, infrastructure and hotel development across Africa.

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Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) Podcast

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